The Definition of Us
by Savannah O'Ryan
Summary: Gabriella and Troy had one common goal for the summer: to get as far away from each other as possible. When they unknowingly take a job at the same summer camp in Colorado, they are forced to redefine their perfect summer and their relationship. AU
1. Define Bliss

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter One- Define Bliss**

_bliss (noun): a state of extreme happiness or euphoria._

* * *

Gabriella Montez hitched her bag onto her shoulder as she hurried through the corridors of East High on the last day of her junior year. The bulletin boards had been stripped bare except for a few notices advertising local businesses offering the students summer jobs, and the doors of empty lockers swung on their hinges. Most of the students had already left the building but Gabriella had stayed behind to wait for her best friend. Rounding the corner and walking towards the chemistry wing, she saw the familiar profile of Taylor McKessie talking to a handful of students outside a classroom.

The student government had been voted into their positions during the week preceding finals and were required to meet on the last day and decide on the dates for freshmen orientation in August. Taylor had been elected as class president for the seniors returning after summer and Gabriella knew there was no one else who would take the position as seriously as Taylor did. Stopping a few feet behind the group, Gabriella leaned against one of the lockers to wait. Someone had left their locker mirror inside the open door and she smoothed away a fly away curl before digging into her bag to find her lip gloss. Smoothing it over her lips in a practiced motion, she slipped it back inside her bag as Taylor left the group and approached her.

"You ready?" Gabriella asked, straightening her simple yellow sundress and sliding the sunglasses that been resting on top of her head down to cover her brown eyes.

"Yeah, thanks for waiting. I can't believe Principal Matsui wouldn't let us leave until we submitted the entire itinerary for orientation week in the fall. I mean, ever hear of summer?" Taylor complained as the girls headed towards the front doors of the school.

"At least now it's done and you don't have to think about it for another month," Gabriella offered as she slipped her hand into the front pocket of her bag and brought out her car keys. Scanning the parking lot, her eyes fell on the familiar pink convertible parked in front of the school. "Why is Sharpay still here? I saw Ryan leave with Kelsi just after the bell."

"She said something about picking the fall musical when I saw her in homeroom," Taylor said, shrugging. "She, Ryan and Kelsi want to do West Side Story for the November show but Mrs. Darbus said they have to put together a budget to make sure the department can cover the cost."

Gabriella nodded at Taylor's explanation. Sharpay and Ryan Evans were co-presidents of the drama club while Kelsi could learn or already play every song ever composed for the theatre. Sometimes, she composed her own music and East High performed an original theatre piece, but usually she let Sharpay pick a classic that they knew would attract a crowd. Taylor was usually busy with student government, the chemistry society and peer tutoring but when Gabriella wasn't practicing for the scholastic decathlon or helping in the tutoring center she liked helping out the drama club with set design. Since transferring to East High from Albuquerque's only private school on the south side in her freshman year, Gabriella had gotten to know Sharpay well enough that although they weren't necessarily friends, they got along.

"She's probably not happy that Ryan stuck her with that job. All she could talk about this morning was heading to Lava Springs and enjoying the pool," Gabriella told Taylor as they made their way to the back of the parking lot where Gabriella had been forced to park that morning after leaving the house late.

"I know," Taylor replied and groaned, "I can't believe I'm stuck working there again this summer while you get to go to Colorado. Stupid student government running orientation two weeks before school starts."

Gabriella looked at her and grinned. She and Taylor had worked at Albuquerque's country club every summer since starting high school but this year Gabriella had decided to try something different and apply as a camp counsellor at a summer camp in Colorado. She had been accepted and offered one of the lifeguard positions and would be helping the drama instructors. She felt bad leaving Taylor at the mercy of pretentious club members but she would have Sharpay and Ryan, plus Kelsi was working there again along with some of the regular staff.

"It won't be that bad," Gabriella assured her friend before looking back to find her car. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the rusted, beat-up truck that was blocking her in. One side of her red convertible was against the curb and decorative hedge while the other bordered a black SUV whose license plate read WILDCAT. She didn't have to read the plate on the white truck to know it spelled out HOOPS and she didn't have to ask who owned it. She let out a frustrated scream. "Why me? He could have parked anywhere, why there?"

Taylor tried to hide her grin but failed. Gabriella glared at her and let out an exasperated sigh. Crouching on the ground, she rummaged through her bag until she found her cell phone. Punching in a familiar number, she waited for the owner to pick up while Taylor threw their things in the back seat and hopped the passenger side door to wait for her. On the fourth ring, the line clicked open.

"Yo, Gabster!" Chad Danforth answered, wondering why his next door neighbour was calling him. It couldn't be for a drive home because he had seen her car in the parking lot when he arrived that morning. He had actually taken the spot beside her.

"Is your _friend_, there?" she asked in an angered tone. "The one who feels the need to go out of his way to annoy me despite our limited interaction?"

"You mean Troy?" Chad asked, laughing at how frustrated the usually easy going and cheerful Gabriella sounded.

"You know who I mean," Gabriella growled. "He purposely blocked me in with his piece of crap truck and I want to go home. Preferably five minutes ago."

Gabriella heard Chad laugh and then yell something she couldn't make out to someone else. Another shout could be heard and then someone laughing. She was going to kill Troy Bolton when she saw him. She was going to run him over with her car. She was going to-

"I'll be right out, Gabs. Give me two seconds." Chad interrupted her thoughts before hanging up. Looking at Taylor who was offering her a sympathetic smile, Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Chad's coming to move it for His Highness," she informed the other girl, hopping the driver's door and slouching in the seat.

* * *

Chad sighed and shut his cell phone, slipping it into the deep pockets of his basketball shorts. Grabbing the jersey that he had shed during the two-on-two game he had been playing with Troy, Jason and Zeke, he slipped it over his head and yelled to Troy.

"Dude, I need your keys!" Troy Bolton looked away from the basketball ball net he was aiming at and saw Chad putting his shirt on.

"We're not done yet!" he called back, not even watching as the ball arced through the air and went through the net. It bounced once before Zeke grabbed it and passed it cross-court to Jason.

"Someone needs to move your truck, you're blocking Gabriella in." Chad watched Troy think for a moment and then sighed when he saw the lazy smirk sprawl across his face.

"I know. She was in my spot." Intercepting the ball from Jason, he took another shot at the net, watching this one go in.

"Well, now she wants to go home so if you're not going to move it yourself, I need your keys to move the truck. Stop being such a prick." Chad held out his hand as Troy dug in his pockets, found his keys, and threw them. Catching them in his hand, Chad turned his back and walked out of the gym, running once he hit the hallway until he reached the parking lot.

Troy smirked and turned back to Jason and Zeke who were running passing drills while they waited. It was the last day of school and the last time they would play together until returning to school in the fall. Usually the four of them worked at Lava Springs in the kitchen, like they had for the last three summers, but this year Troy had nailed a sweet job in Colorado as a camp counsellor. The owner was a friend of Jack Bolton, Troy's dad, and he had called last night to ask if Troy would be interested working as an athletic instructor. Aside from swimming and track and field, they were looking for someone with experience in basketball, soccer, and baseball. Troy wasn't so sure about the soccer part but the other two were perfect. The money was twice the amount of what he made at the country club and he wouldn't have to deal with every guy under the age of thirty flirting with Gabriella and Sharpay the whole summer.

Bouncing the ball twice, he jumped and let the ball soar through the net. It wasn't that he and Gabriella Montez were enemies; Chad played peacekeeper too well for that to happen. It was more the fact that Gabriella seemed to be the only person that was unaffected by the status quo that dominated East High. The cliques that formed and stayed inclusive during their time at East came about from focus and dedication rather than stereotypes and cruelty. The drama department ran rehearsals everyday after school and through every free period, with shows running back to back without taking a break. Basketball ran practice the same and when its team members weren't on the court, they were playing for the baseball team or the golf team or the soccer team or lacrosse. No one had time to see each other outside of class unless they shared a common interest, hence the status quo. But Gabriella Montez was the superhuman who did everything.

Troy saw her everywhere. He would see her running lines with Sharpay or Ryan during homeroom before the bell. He would see her on the track outside as she ran laps against Chad for track and field practice during lunch hour and she was normally in the chemistry wing for free period helping Taylor with the scholastic decathlon. After school, she normally left the building just ahead of Troy, following hours in the auditorium helping to build and paint sets. She refused to let anything get in her way or stop her and while Troy found it admirable, he also found it annoying that she held no specific group in reverence. She didn't drool as the basketball boys walked by or scurry away when Sharpay was in one of her moods. Troy found it unsettling and had made it his primary goal during his sophomore year to push her buttons.

It usually worked.

* * *

Gabriella straightened in her seat when she spotted Chad approaching in her rear-view mirror. Turning the key in the ignition, she watched as Chad pulled open the door to the truck and let the engine turn over. Backing it into the vacant spot on the other side of his SUV, Chad cut the engine and climbed back out, heading over to where Gabriella was waiting for him.

"Problem solved," he told her with a wink and she gave him a weak smile. They had been neighbours since childhood and close friends until high school when activities and friends had them drifting apart from lack of time. They still chatted once in awhile and family barbeques occurred occasionally but their conversations never went deeper than school events or homework.

"Thanks," she said quietly as he leaned on Taylor's side of the car. "I didn't mean to get you involved; I just didn't want to walk all the way back there."

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged. "He only does it to rile you up. His ego needs a boost for all those times you refuse to treat him like a king."

"He's just like every other male student in the school except he can shoot a basket with his eyes shut. Nothing special in the grand scheme of things," Gabriella pointed out, shifting the car out of park and into reverse.

"You know how he is. Anyway, I have to get back. I'll see you girls at Lava Springs on Monday? Fulton was so kind as to bump me up to head waiter. I get a bigger tray. It will be thrilling," he replied in a sarcastic tone that was only used in reference to the middle-aged, balding man who expected his staff to fly when he said jump.

"He gave Taylor a purple planner. She was excited too," Gabriella told him with a grin while Taylor rolled her eyes. "But I'm not working there this year. I'm headed to the wild outdoors of Colorado."

"Seriously?" Chad said, his eyebrows so high that they were hidden by his bushy hair. "You're ditching us?"

"Yes," Taylor sighed dramatically, "I haven't decided if I should be able to survive or not." Gabriella giggled and elbowed her.

"I got a position at a summer camp about two hours past the border, just past a town called Maplevine Ridge. Pay is good and they board me for free. Feed me for free. And the bonus is of course that Mr. Golf Pro won't be spending excessive amounts of time in the kitchen discussing the many characteristics of his nine iron." Gabriella closed her eyes and let a dreamy expression cross her face. "Blissful summer. You're on your own."

"I'm sure I'll live," Chad shot back as he stepped away from the car and let Gabriella back out.

Waving bye and telling Taylor he would see her on Monday, he turned and jogged back to the gym where Troy was playing one-on-two with his friends instead of waiting for his team mate. Sighing, Chad stepped onto the court and intercepted the ball from Zeke, passing it to Troy who didn't even miss a beat before taking a shot at the net. A thought passed quickly through Chad's mind as he remembered what Gabriella had said.

"Hey, Hoops. Where did you say you're working this summer?" He caught the ball Troy threw to him and turned, putting Jason at his back and shot.

"Maple Grove? No. Maple Woods? No. Maple Hill?" Troy shook his head in disinterest. "I don't know. Something with trees. Some stick town in Colorado. We're driving up Saturday. Why?"

"Just curious," Chad said, grabbing the ball and going for a lay-up. "At least there's no Fulton."

"And no Sharpay and no Gabriella and no Star Dazzle Award banquet. It will be bliss." Troy smirked at the dazed look that crossed Zeke's face at the mention of Sharpay. She was the only reason he slaved away at a stove all summer. Chad smirked back but not for the reason Troy was.

"That's second time today that someone has used that word," Chad muttered.

Troy didn't hear him as he caught a rebound of the backboard and took another shot. Perfect shot. Perfect job. Perfect summer.


	2. Define Plan

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Two- Define Plan**

_plan (noun): __A scheme, program, or method worked out beforehand for the accomplishment of an objective._

* * *

On Sunday afternoon, after a day and a half of driving, Gabriella stepped out of her mother's mini van and inhaled the fresh scent of wet pine needles and damp mulch. It had rained during the stretch of highway between the New Mexico-Colorado border, only letting up thirty minutes ago when they passed through the tiny town of Maplevine Ridge. Heavy mist still hung in the air as Gabriella made her way down the path that led to the main office building of the camp.

The main building was sided with wooden shingles and as she mounted the four steps leading to the entrance, the screen door swung open and two girls emerged carrying folders while chatting. Offering Gabriella a smile, they told her that if she was reporting to work that she could find the manager in the first office to her right. Thanking them, she entered the building and knocked on the open door that had been mentioned. A man in his late twenties sat at a desk, flipping through folders and comparing them to a list that hung on the bulletin board over his desk. At her knock, he turned and grinned at Gabriella.

"Welcome to Maplevine!" he told her, getting up and offering her a hand. "Pete West," he added.

"Gabriella Montez," she responded with a quick smile.

"Our lifeguard from New Mexico," Pete said as he sorted through the folders in his hands until he found one with her name on it. "This includes the list of girls in your cabin and a map of the area. Supper is being served in the mess hall at five so you have a few hours to get settled and learn your way around. I will cover everything else after dinner."

Gabriella nodded and quickly glanced through the folder before shutting it. Looking up she watched as Pete took a red lanyard off a hook and handed it to her, pointing out the two keys it held. One was marked with a red 'P' and the other a black number three.

"These are the keys to your cabin and the pool area. The whistle just makes it easier to let people know it's yours. Each person has a different lanyard so if you happen to lose it from around your neck, we will know who it belongs to. Some of the counsellors are already here and others will be arriving by tonight." Pete indicated the list over his desk that had x's marked next to the counsellors that had arrived. "I'll see you at dinner."

Gabriella passed two guys and a girl on their way into the office as she skipped down the steps and hurried to where her mother was pulling luggage from the rear compartment of the van. Slipping the backpack over her shoulder and pulling the handle up on her wheeled suitcase, Gabriella spent a few moments chatting with her mom and saying goodbye before kissing her cheek and heading towards her cabin. Turning around a few seconds later, she waved as her mom pulled a u-turn in the road and headed back to Albuquerque.

Following the path that her map indicated, Gabriella passed two buildings that she recognized as the mess hall and first aid building. There were also two larger buildings that her map indicated to be a theatre and an indoor gymnasium. On the opposite side of the path, she passed a soccer field looking as if it had been recently mowed that was accompanied by a track ring around the outside. Further down, where the path split into two directions, Gabriella found the pool and locker rooms. It was enclosed within a chain link fence but she could see the two lifeguard stands, the laneline buoys and a diving board at the far end. Turning away, she passed a double basketball court on her way. At the end of the path, she entered a ring of cabins that all centered around a grassy area that held a bulletin board of the weeks' events and counsellor information. Stopping at bottom of her cabin's steps, Gabriella took a quick glance around before lugging her suitcase up the stairs.

Fitting the key in the lock, she turned the handle and shoved the door open. Footsteps behind her caused her to turn. A tall, dark haired guy stood on the grass with one foot on the first step and one hand on the railing. His hair was spiked in all directions and his eyes seemed almost black to Gabriella. He smiled brightly at her before taking the three steps up to the door where she stood.

"Brett Washington," he said, introducing himself. "I'm in cabin five. Did you want a hand?" he asked, indicating the backpack she had left at the bottom of the steps, intending to come back for it, that he had picked up on his way to the door.

"Gabriella Montez and thanks," Gabriella told him, entering past the doorway and glancing around. To the left and right, three beds lined each wall with dressers and lamps alternating between them. Quilts and pillows were already on the beds and more were piled on a couch that leaned against the front wall. A low table and a few chairs were scattered around near the door.

"The counsellors have their own rooms at the back," Brett told her, breezing by and leading the way between the beds to two open doors at the rear of the building.

Poking her head inside the closest one, she saw a bathroom with a stand up shower and a towel rack. Stepping into the room that Brett had entered, she saw a single bed pushed against the wall and a dresser that looked identical to the ones outside. A desk and chair were under the single window and a closet revealed a few shelves and hangers for her things. Brett tossed her backpack on the bed and pointed to the binder that rested on the desk where Gabriella had dropped her folder as well.

"That's the camp policy and procedure manual. It mentions counsellor conduct and scheduling as well as what to do in case of any type of emergency. Pete will probably go through it tonight at the meeting," he explained.

"Thanks," Gabriella repeated. "You've been here before?"

"I've been coming since I was little. I'm from Denver and my parents used to rent a cottage in Maplevine and I would come here for the summer. Last year I started as a cabin counsellor and this year Pete bumped me up to canoeing instructor," Brett explained.

"I haven't seen the lake yet," she replied, glancing at the map and noticing a trail leading from the back of the theatre to a lake. "I applied to get away from Albuquerque for the summer but I can already tell this is going to be better than the country club back home."

"You'll like it here. Pete is a great manager and the staff is pretty decent. I was going to give Hailey, Jayme and Caleb the grand tour, if you wanted to join in?" Brett asked, watching as Gabriella unzipped her suitcase and pulled out the few books she had brought, setting them on her desk along with her day planner and cell phone charger.

"That would be great. Let me just get this out of the way and I'll meet you out front," she suggested but Brett had already taken up a position in front of the closet, taking the clothes she handed him and hanging them on hangers.

She laughed and let him help, giving him her jacket, an East High track suit and a few dresses she had brought for her days off. The rest of her clothes went into the dresser, while her toiletries went in the top drawer. Leaving her sneakers and her shoes in her suitcase she shoved it in the closet, closing the door as she finished. Grabbing a sweatshirt off the bed, she pulled it over her head and followed Brett out the door while slipping her keys around her neck and hiding them underneath the sweater. Reaching the grassy common area outside, she noticed the two girls from the office reading the bulletin board until they noticed Brett and Gabriella.

"Hey, we saw you in the office," one of the girls pointed out. She had short blond hair cut in a bob and green eyes. She was taller than Gabriella and was dressed entirely in sophisticated black. "I'm Hailey Myers, cabin six and this is my cousin, Jayme Walker. She's in cabin seven." Jayme's hair was a darker blonde and pulled back into a messy bun.

"Gabriella Montez from cabin three," Gabriella offered, pausing when she noticed a guy with blond hair walking towards them in a blue jacket. He looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't place him.

"This is Caleb Brenner from cabin eight," Brett said, introducing the newest addition and Gabriella recognized the name. "He's one of the baseball instructors."

"Come to lend some West High talent?" Gabriella joked and Caleb looked surprised until he noticed the black and red sweatshirt she wore. The front showed the school's mascot while the left sleeve labelled her as part of the drama club.

"I didn't know East's drama department came out of the theatre long enough to recognize the enemy," Caleb said with a grin. The rivalry between the two schools was renowned within the city but this girl seemed friendly enough and willing to ignore it. "What gave me away?"

"The jacket for starters," she pointed out, "plus I'm friends with Danforth. You beat him out at second base last season and he ranted about it for a week." She shook her head, remembering how even though East had won, Chad couldn't believe how Caleb had ruined his perfect homerun score.

"Danforth, hey? That's interesting. So what talents do you bring to Maplevine?" he asked as they left the cabin area and followed Brett up the path. Gabriella hurried to keep up with his longer stride, glad that he was copying her and ignoring the rivalry and trash talk that usually existed between their schools.

"I'm one of the lifeguards and I'm helping with the theatre production for the end of the summer show. I usually deal with the technical stuff for East so I thought I could help here. It beats working at Lava Springs," she added, knowing that some of the West High students worked there as well, although Sharpay's parents tended to favour their children's school when making hiring decisions.

"I would imagine. I worked there the summer after my sophomore year and only lasted a couple of days before Bolton and Danforth drove me crazy. I can only take so many well-aimed golf balls to my head before I fear for my health," he told her as followed Brett and the girls into the theatre.

Gabriella nodded as she looked around, eyeing the well built stage, existing catwalks and lighting. It was simple and wouldn't allow for anything as elaborate as one of East High's production but it could hold a decent audience and the acoustics sounded good. Peeking in a few open doors leading away from the main room, she noticed two dance studios and another room with a piano. Turning, she realized that Caleb had followed her and he had been talking. Apologizing, she asked him to repeat the question.

"I wondered how the drama hand becomes friends with the basketball captains," he told her. "I wouldn't think you have a lot in common." He watched her shake her head as they headed back outside, listening to the girls ask if Brett could show them the lake.

"You said 'captains'; I'm not friends with Bolton," she pointed out as they followed the overgrown path down to the lake. It would only take a few days of campers running back and forth to wear it back down. "Chad and I have lived next door to each other since we were little, but I went to Albuquerque Prep until my freshman year, so I didn't know anyone else at East. We're not as close now but we still hang out when our parents get together and he gives me a ride when my car is in the shop."

"What about Bolton. Aren't they attached at the hip? Take Danforth, get Bolton?" Caleb frowned when Gabriella laughed, shaking her head fiercely.

"Troy and I don't really get along. Never have. He doesn't get me and I don't worship the ground he walks on," Gabriella explained, noticing how the trees around them were thinning and the others ahead of them had stopped walking. "We tend to steer clear of one another whenever necessary so that Chad doesn't feel forced to play referee," she added just as they stepped out of the woods and onto the edge of the lake where two wharves jutted out and a dozen canoes were stacked along the shoreline.

"Sounds fair enough," Caleb replied, referring to her obvious distrust of Troy Bolton. He didn't really know the guy, only of his reputation on the basketball court which any athlete would be forced to respect. Hearing Gabriella gasp in awe at the view of the lake, he grinned. "I guess if anyone needs to find you, I should direct them here?"

"Definitely. I'm going to have to adjust my morning run to include this. It's beautiful," she sighed, closing her eyes and listening to the lapping waves and the wind with Hailey and Jayme talking quietly with Brett in the background.

"You run?" Caleb sounded surprised and she opened her eyes to grin at him. When were people going to understand that she was capable of multitasking? Nodding, she closed her eyes again and felt the stillness wash over her. Caleb's answer made her smile when he muttered, "Well, I wouldn't have expected that."

* * *

Troy lifted his head from its resting place when he felt the SUV come to a stop. Rubbing a hand across his face, he realized that they must have arrived. A quick glance towards the dashboard clock illuminated the time as just before midnight. Sighing, he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up and pushed the door open, stumbling out into the pitch black night. Blinking away sleep, he looked around and tried to sort out his surroundings despite the limited light.

They were parked in front of the main office of Maplevine Camp and as Troy watched, an upstairs light blinked on. More lights winked on downstairs before the front door was pulled open and a guy in his twenties emerged onto the veranda. The guy called out and Jack Bolton answered but Troy wasn't listening as he pulled the hatch to the trunk up and began pulling out his gear. Two duffle bags and a basketball were placed on the ground along with a set of golf clubs. Looking up, Troy noticed that tiny lamps lit the pathway leading away from the office and each of the buildings had their outside lights on. Turning back to his father, Troy approached them and waited for the conversation to pause.

"Hey, Troy," Pete offered, shaking hands with the youth. "I'm Pete West."

"Sorry about the timing," Troy replied but Pete waved it off.

"No worries, Mr. Romanavo called about twenty minutes ago to say that you were on your way up from town. I have your keys and your cabin assignments so you can crash for the night and I can fill you in on everything else tomorrow morning. The kids don't come until Wednesday so tomorrow is just a prep day to work out any kinks and do some team building." Pete handed Troy a black lanyard with a silver whistle and a bunch of keys. "The one with the number is your assigned cabin; you're in number four. The other keys are labelled for the gym, basketball courts and all the equipment rooms except those in the pool area."

"Thanks." Troy pocketed the keys and turned to his dad. "You going to head back into town and crash at the Romanavo's?" he asked, naming the family who owned the camp and who had recruited Troy to come. Mr. Romanavo had played college ball with Jack before moving north and opening his own wilderness shop and accompanying summer camp for kids. The Bolton's had stopped at their home in Maplevine Ridge for directions and dinner which meant Troy missing the orientation dinner with the rest of the staff.

"Yeah. I'll head home tomorrow. If you need anything, just call and make sure you keep up your training. I'm sure you're not the only one who knows a little bit of basketball here," Jack told his son.

"Actually, the other baseball instructor and one of the lifeguards seem fairly knowledgeable. They and some of the other staff had a game going after dinner," Pete interrupted and Troy grinned.

"Great. Well, Dad, I'll see you in a few weeks and I'm off to bed." Troy gave his dad a one-armed hug and stooped to pick up his gear. Swinging the duffle bags over his shoulder, he grabbed the golf clubs and began the very awkward trek towards the cabins.

It had only been a few moments since the headlights of his dad's SUV had cut a path across the trail while turning, that Troy heard hurried footsteps on the gravel. Turning, he saw Pete coming towards him with a flashlight. Stopping he held out an arm to help and Troy gratefully handed over his golf bag. Readjusting his burdens, Troy followed the camp manager down the pathway. When they reached the cabin area, Pete shone the flashlight in a circle so that Troy could see the layout.

"Your cabin is over there," Pete said, pointing at the cabin directly in front of them. "Sleep tonight and get settled tomorrow. The kitchen staff is serving brunch around eleven so all the employees can get a little extra sleep. You can come find me in the office after that."

"Thanks," Troy responded, stifling a yawn as he made his way up the steps and dropping all his things on the small veranda.

Pushing the key into the lock, he nudged the door open. Once all his stuff was inside, Troy waved to Pete and shut the door. Flicking on the light switch, he carried everything to his room in the back and left it in a jumbled pile. Without even bothering to undress, he turned the light off and flung himself on the bed. He didn't even have enough energy to close the window despite the slight chill.

* * *

Gabriella looked up from her hash browns and bacon when she heard her name on Monday morning. Taking a sip of her orange juice, she smiled when she saw Hailey and Jayme approaching with their own breakfast hot from the buffet line. Using her fork, she speared a hash brown and swished it around the ketchup before popping it into her mouth. Looking across the table as the two girls took a seat, she noticed Brett following their actions and taking the seat beside Hailey. There were a few moments of silence as they chewed their food before Jayme spoke up.

"So, who knows the schedule for today?" she asked as Caleb joined them with Anna, the drama instructor from cabin two. "Someone said something about a free afternoon."

"It's not really free," Brett informed her, reaching for the ketchup in front of Gabriella. "Everyone is supposed to report to their activity area and go through equipment and double check that there is enough of everything. Plus each team gets to work out their shift schedules and any programs or special exceptions."

"Well, that's not so bad. I spend the afternoon counting tennis balls and rackets," Hailey piped up. She had been hired to run the tennis aspect of the camp while Jayme would be helping with soccer and canoeing.

"I told Cheyenne and Ben that I would help them go over the pool area before checking in with the theatre girls," Gabriella told them.

"It will go pretty fast and then tonight is all about team building," Brett said, pulling out a schedule from his back pocket. "They usually make us run emergency drills so that we know where everyone will be in case something happens."

"Pete mentioned that last night," Caleb added. "He said he wanted to wait until all the staff had shown up."

Gabriella listened to the others chat while she finished off her breakfast. The mess hall was fairly quiet and most of the table empty as staff wandered in and out, taking advantage of the relaxed routines while the campers were still absent. A few tables away, two girls from cabin one and nine sat with Ben, her lifeguard partner from cabin ten. The other people in the room were not assigned to specific cabins but had rooms in either the main administration building or the first aid cabin.

"I saw the guy from cabin four this morning on my way here. He was just leaving and heading to the administration building," Anna told them, picking at her eggs. A grin spread across her face as she glanced at Gabriella. "He must have gotten in late last night or early this morning but you should see him, Ella. He's gorgeous."

Brett and Gabriella smirked at the dreamy expression on the raven haired girl's face. In a lot of ways, she reminded Gabriella of Sharpay with her flare for the dramatic and her love of gossip. The only major personality difference was where Sharpay tended to keep people out of her personal life, Anna wouldn't shut up. The group had spent the night before laughing at all the comments she had to make about their basketball game after dinner.

"Ella, here, may have to show the basketball boy a few tips after what I saw on the court," Caleb said with a grin and Gabriella elbowed him in the ribs. "If I didn't believe you before, it's obvious that Danforth has rubbed off on you during the years. Why don't you play for East?"

"I run for East, I perform for East, and I am smart in the name of East. If I did anything else for the school, I wouldn't have time to eat or sleep," Gabriella told him, picking up her plate. "I'll see you guys later. I need to go get ready and meet my team. Have fun."

The others waved before turning back to their food and conversations. Stepping out into the sunlight, Gabriella slipped her sunglasses over her eyes and began the walk back to her cabin.

* * *

Troy nodded at something Pete was saying as the two exited the administration building after their meeting. The manager had covered everything from the meeting the night before as well as any questions that he had. Pointing to the map in Troy's hand, Pete mentioned the lake and other possible running trails. Troy nodded again and glanced up, looking over Pete's shoulder towards the mess hall. Squinting behind his aviators, Troy watched as a girl emerged from the mess hall and paused to slip a pair of sunglasses over her eyes before skipping down the steps and heading down the path. With her back to him and the sun in his eyes, Troy couldn't be sure but she seemed familiar. Maybe he had seen her that morning?

"Troy?" Pete asked, turning to follow the basketball player's line of vision.

"Sorry," Troy said, shrugging his shoulders and looking back at the older guy, "she looked familiar for some reason."

"The girl? I can't tell from here but it looks like Anna or Ella. You'll get to meet the rest of the staff later this afternoon. I'll let you get going. Remember to check all the equipment rooms and if any of the balls have holes in them, let me know and I will dig some out of storage for us to pump up. Don't forget to put the nets on the rims for the court hoops and lock up all the rooms when you're not around." Troy nodded and left the stairs to head in the direction of the equipment rooms in the gym.

* * *

Gabriella made a note on her clipboard as she counted flutter boards and pool noodles in the equipment room that afternoon. Pete wanted everything counted and assessed. If it was damaged, they needed to make note of it so it could be replaced or repaired. Pushing aside the counted stacks, she began counting hockey pucks and weighted toys for diving. Marking the number on her inventory sheet, she swore under her breath when the pen refused to produce ink. Leaving the room, she pushed a stray curl off her forehead and looked for the other lifeguards.

"Cheyenne?" she called, poking her head into the tiny room they used as an office. First aid supplies and towels were stacked against the back wall while the red-headed Cheyenne counted out band-aids and ice packs. "Hey, do we have any more pens? This one just died on me."

"Um, I don't think so. I just grabbed a bunch from the administration office when I went to get the inventory lists. Can you run up and get some? We'll need some extras for in here, anyway." Gabriella nodded and set her clipboard on an empty chair, grabbing the short-sleeved sweatshirt she had been wearing over her bathing suit until the heat in the equipment closet got to her. Slipping on her sunglasses, she turned to leave before Cheyenne called her name again. "While you're up there, can you find Ben? I sent him to find a pump for the beach balls but we don't have a key so he's probably trying to find one of the athletic instructors."

"Yeah, sure I'll be back in a few."

Leaving the enclosed pool area, Gabriella jogged up the path to the main office. She waved to Caleb who was helping Jayme attach soccer nets to the goal posts. On her way back from the office, carrying an envelope full of pens, white-out, paper clips and a stapler, she ducked inside the gym to find Ben. Instead she found Hailey counting tennis balls and inspecting tennis rackets.

"You haven't seen Ben, have you?" Gabriella asked, "We seem to have lost him on his journey to find a ball pump."

"He was in here earlier, but I told him to check the equipment storage down by the basketball courts. That's where they are storing the soccer balls and basketballs," Hailey told her, making a note on her clipboard and replacing a racket on the shelf. "Brett said if you need life jackets, he has some extra ones down at the docks."

Gabriella thanked her before leaving, following the path until it led to the basketball courts. Glimpsing a flash of red on the other side of the linked fence, she called out to Ben.

"Ella?" he answered as she rounded the corner. He was surrounded by basketballs as he fit the nozzle of the pump into an orange ball and hit the switch. "What's up?"

"Cheyenne asked me to find you on my trip to the office. She thought you got lost." Gabriella heard footsteps behind her as she watched Ben fill another ball.

"No, I offered to help finish these so that we could take the pump up to the pool instead of juggling all of the balls and inner tubes up there. I'm almost finished," he explained to her. Looking up from his task, he focused on something behind her shoulder. "Oh, Ella, have you met Troy? He got in last night after the meeting."

The name barely registered before Gabriella turned to greet the new staff member but froze when the name and the face connected in her brain. He was wearing red basketball shorts with the East High mascot on one leg and a white wife beater. His hair was in its usual casual mess and the aviators were clipped to his staff lanyard. He looked slightly confused until she slid her oversized sunglasses up to rest in her hair.

"Bolton."

"Montez," he replied, letting the two soccer balls he carried drop to the ground where the rolled among the rest.

"Troy, I thought you said you hadn't met Ella yet?" Ben looked between the jock and the lifeguard, wondering why the two previously easy going people now seemed so rigid. It wasn't Troy who answered, but Gabriella.

"We go to the same high school," she told him, never breaking looking away from the startling blue eyes. "We didn't know we would both be here."

"Kind of ruins our plan for the summer, doesn't it?" Troy ground out with his characteristic smirk.

"You had plans?" Ben asked, feeling invisible. He could tell something unspoken was passing between the two but didn't know enough to put a name to it.

"Yeah, to get as far away from you as possible," Gabriella directed at Troy, keeping her voice even.

"And here I thought you had given in to my charm and decided to stalk me," Troy retorted. "Don't feel so betrayed, Brie, it was a mutual plan with mutual disappointment given the current situation."

Gabriella bit the inside of her cheek to keep her temper in check but Troy could see the color rising in her cheeks and the smirk grew. Digging her nails into her palms, she shifted the envelope of supplies under her arm and reached up to tug her sunglasses into place. Turning, she looked at Ben before leaving.

"When you're done, can you bring the pump up to the pool? By yourself, if it can be done."

Turning on her heel, she breezed past Troy without a single glance in his direction, heading back to the pool. Feeling his eyes follow her across the grass and up the path until she disappeared from sight, she waited for her temper to disparate before processing what had just happened.

Troy Bolton was here. Working. With her. All summer. What happened to perfect?

* * *

**AN: To answer a few questions that I thought were clear but apparently were slightly confusing. Yes, I altered the timelime. Gabriella never moved, but transferred schools to start high school at East. She lives next door to Chad, and has most of her life. I am aware that in the movie she only works at Lava Springs for one summer, but that's not the case is this story. Anymore questions, feel free to ask. **

**-Savannah**


	3. Define Cooperate

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Three- Define Cooperate**

_cooperate (verb): __to work or act together despite the possible presence of obstacles._

* * *

Troy watched as Gabriella rounded the corner and disappeared towards the pool. Of all people, she was the last person he had expected when the other counselors mentioned 'Ella'. First, no one back in Albuquerque called her Ella; it was always Gabi or Gabster in Chad's case. Troy's nickname of Brie was taboo for everyone else because they knew how he used it just to get under her skin. Secondly, she was supposed to be at Lava Springs. When he woke up that morning to complete awareness of his perfect summer, he had envisioned Gabriella back at the country club in her red swimsuit and white shorts singing Karaoke with Sharpay and Ryan while they waited for Kelsi and Taylor to get off work. He had not seen her in Colorado with him. Looking away from the path, he caught the look that Ben sent him.

"We need to finish. I told that Brett guy that I would help him carry the new canoes down from Pete's truck," Troy said evenly, grabbing an armful of basketballs and taking them back to the closet on the other side of the fence. Ben didn't say anything, thinking rightfully that Troy wouldn't answer any of his questions anyway.

After a few trips to the storage closet, Troy slammed the door shut and slipped the lock into place. Picking up one of the two ball pumps, Troy motioned for Ben to lead the way to the pool. He shrugged off the other boy's reminder of Gabriella's request. She wouldn't expect him to obey her request anyway.

"I'll just drop it outside the fence, but you won't need to take two trips. She won't even see me." Troy told him and the other boy shrugged.

"If they finished the rest of inventory, she probably won't even be there. It's getting late and she was supposed to help the drama girls sort through sets and costumes from last year to decide on the end of summer play for the kids." Ben set down his pump when they reached the open door in the fence. "She's like a lot of us and running more than one activity."

"Except she's probably running five," Troy replied sarcastically and smirked at the surprised look on Ben's face. He was right. East High's princess was pulling out all the stops once again. "Let me guess, she's working the pool and the theatre, probably the track and if they get desperate she will agree to help with baseball."

"Uh, well, yeah," Ben said, unsure of how to answer Troy's answer, "but you missed basketball. Pete asked her last night after seeing her play."

"Ah, but she didn't know the basketball instructor would be me," Troy pointed out, leaning against the chain linked fence and watching a girl with red hair skim the pool with an over-sized net. Ben had a line between his eyebrows and Troy knew what he was thinking since his classmates at East constantly commented on the same thing. "Brie and I may not get along and avoid each other whenever possible, but I've known her for years."

"Well, it's too bad if you're right about the basketball thing; she has some moves on the court." Ben waved to Cheyenne and picked up one of the pumps so he could get back to work. "I have to get back to work. When you're done with Brett, can you come back for the pumps? We don't have a key."

"Yeah, man. I'll see you at supper." Jogging down the path, he cut behind the theatre building and found the trail leading through the woods to the water.

He considered making an entrance into the theatre but thought better about it. They had both come here hoping to make summer easier on themselves and their friends and if that was the case, Troy would comply by continuing his plan of avoidance.

* * *

Gabriella stepped out of the meal line in the mess hall that night and glanced around the mainly empty room for her friends. Meeting Hailey's eyes, the blond raised a hand and waved from a table near the window. Making her way over, Gabriella set her tray down and slid into the seat beside Caleb. She ignored the piercing blue eyes that watched her from the far end of the table as she stabbed a piece of cucumber on her plate.

"A little warning would have been nice," Caleb hissed into her ear a few minutes later and she looked at in shock at his tone. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but then she caught the look he sent to the end of the table and then looked at her again. "Bolton?" he prodded.

"I didn't know he was coming. It's not like we compare schedules or lunch dates with each other," Gabriella shot back, stabbing another vegetable. "I can't believe I told Pete I would help out with basketball activities."

"Flirting with the enemy, Brie?" The hard voice was laced with sarcasm and venom. "Does Chad know?"

Her fork scraped against the ceramic of her plate and all conversation at the table halted at Troy's tone and the familiarity with which he said her name. Gabriella looked away from Caleb and gazed steadily down the table. Ben buried his head in his hands.

"Chad, Bolton? That's the best you can do today?" she scoffed, popping a baby tomato in her mouth. "And I thought you would have worked on your taunts after not seeing me for three days. I'm disappointed."

"Yeah, well I thought I had all summer to come up with new material," Troy shot back, leaning his elbows on the table, "so the disappointment is mutual."

"Oh, honey," she smiled sweetly at him, "I'm not disappointed that you're here. I'm disappointed that I didn't know sooner or I would have stayed home. Just imagine how much fun Sharpay and Taylor must be having without you."

"You're really going to bring the Ice Princess into this?" Troy asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Don't call her that!" Gabriella snapped, pushing her plate away and standing up.

"Guys, just take a breather," Caleb said, wrapping his hand around Gabriella's arm and pulling her back into her seat. "Ella, just ignore-"

"Hey, West Boy," Troy interrupted, "Stay out of it."

"Never mind, we'll both go," Caleb concluded. "We'll see you guys outside when you're finished."

Gabriella slammed her tray onto the counter before leaving, hearing Caleb's steps run to catch up with her. Walking outside, she headed to the field where they were all supposed to meet so they could run over procedures with each other. Caleb caught her arm and she whirled around, fury in her eyes. Letting her knees collapse, she sank into a cross-legged posture on the grass, pulling out a few strands of grass and running them through her fingers.

"He's just being an ass," Caleb told her, sitting beside her.

"He's always an ass," Gabriella sighed, lying back on her elbows. "Can we just talk about something else until he gets out here and starts all over again?"

"Sure. I need you to find out if Jayme has a boyfriend." Gabriella turned so she was facing him, letting a sly grin spread across her features.

"Wow, those must have been magical soccer nets you helped put up earlier," she commented. Looking away from him and across the field to the front of the mess hall, she saw the rest of the counselors coming towards them. "Leave it with me," she told him.

"You'll be subtle, right?" he sounded worried and Gabriella laughed as she stood up and wiped away the stray strands of grass that clung to her.

"Trust me."

They were interrupted by Pete's megaphone as the rest of the staff joined them on the grass. After making all the basic introductions for the benefit of the people who hadn't met Troy yet, he pulled out handfuls of maps and highlighters. After distributing them, he waited for the chatter to die down again before giving them directions.

"Alright, so this evening we are going to run through all emergency procedures," Pete started. "First is fire. If you find the fire, you get everyone in the area out and pull the closest fire alarm. If it's in the woods, you blow your whistle as loud as you can. Three short blasts signal fire. If you hear the fire signal, you get everyone to the soccer field. Everyone understands?" They nodded and he continued. "Next are medical emergencies. If it's one of your campers, you use the walkie talkies and call for the first aider. Give her details so she will know if we need an ambulance. The rest of you are responsible for keeping the other kids out of the way. If it happens in the pool, you let one of the lifeguards run procedure since it's different." Again they all nodded agreement. "Great, now everyone get out their maps and find their cabin partner. All cabins are paired for certain activities and to make it easy for the kids to remember, we just go one through ten. One is with two, three with four, etcetera. So, partner up."

Gabriella saw Caleb grin as he detached himself from her side and went to find Jayme. Trying to remember cabin assignments, Gabriella did the calculations in her head. Jayme and Caleb were seven and eight, Brett and Hailey were five and six, Cheyenne and Anna were cabins one and two. That left Ben from cabin ten and Kylie and Troy. Horror washed over Gabriella as she remembered that Kylie was in cabin nine, a quick glance over her shoulder proved her right. Closing her eyes, she murmured every swear word she knew in Spanish under her breath.

"Troy and Ella? You have a map?" Opening her eyes, Gabriella saw Pete looking slight annoyed at their lack of response.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. What area are you giving us?" She poised her highlighter over the detailed map of the camp and surrounding area. It would be the area she and Troy would have to search if there was ever a missing camper or staff. It would be the last resort if they couldn't be found within any of the buildings.

"Area six," Pete told her, pointing out the section on the map. She shaded it in while he watched and then copied the motion on his own master copy of the map. "I want you to explore it now. The boundaries are marked off with pink rope so you will know when you reach the outer edges of your area."

Gabriella nodded and began walking towards the main path. Their area consisted of the woods behind the cabin area. It stretched a quarter of a mile behind the cabins and followed the lake until reaching the docks which were part of section five. She was half way across the field when she heard Pete call her name. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him point out a red and black clad figure with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Take your partner," he reminded her.

Crossing her arms, she waited for Troy to take the longest twenty steps she had ever witnessed until he was close enough that it looked like they were working together. Passing him the map, she watched him scan it for a moment before looking up.

"Have you been in this area yet?" he asked, handing it back to her and zipping his jacket up when he felt the air start to chill.

"No." If she kept her answers to the point, than maybe they could accomplish something without falling into a pit of insanity.

"I think we should start at the lake and work our way up. If it was a real situation, that would be the most dangerous place to find them," he said, noticing the look of respect she had for his logic before she managed to hide it behind an emotionless wall.

"Sure."

It took them almost an hour to cover every part of the area and they did it in complete silence. The only time either of them spoke was to point out a particular dangerous spot like a sink hole or steep slope, after which Gabriella would mark it on their map with a pen and add a description to the margin.

Making it back just before dark, Gabriella noticed that some people had already returned and Brett and Hailey had started another game of basketball like the night before. They called for them to join but when Gabriella saw the grin spread across Troy's face, she told them that she was headed for bed. Troy watched her walk away before catching the ball that Brett threw. Taking five steps inside the court, he bounced the ball a couple of times for letting off a shot. Hearing the cheers as the ball went through the net, Troy looked back and saw Caleb push away from the fence and take the path towards the cabin.

* * *

Troy bounded down the steps of his cabin on Tuesday morning. Stopping at the bottom, he quickly laced up his sneakers and shoved the earbuds of his ipod in his ears. Looking around, he noticed that no one seemed to be up and moving yet. The ground was still moist with morning dew and the wind was still. Hitting the button on his music, he slipped it inside the pocket of his hoodie and pulled up the hood. Waiting for the first song to pick up, he paused before setting off at an easy jogging pace. Reaching the main path through the camp, he remembered what Brett had said the night before about the trails along the lake being the flattest and more even. Keeping the pace even, he cut between the main office building and the mess hall, reaching the marked trail.

The ground was slightly uneven as it led downhill and Troy was careful not to trip over any roots or loose stones on his way. Just as the trees thinned to give him a view of the lake, the trail broke left and right, leading downshore towards the docks or up wards away from camp. Taking the right path, Troy turned up the music and began picking up the pace. It wound in and around the lakeshore but remained fairly flat, passing the docks, the incline increased but Troy didn't mind. He estimated he had gone about half a mile when the pink rope marking Area Eight came into view and he decided to turn around so he could shower before breakfast. He slowed as the docks came into view and a flash of pink caught his attention.

"For a moment, I thought you were Sharpay with all the pinkness," he told her, taking the headphones away from his ears. She was seated cross-legged on the wooden planks of the wharves, her back to the trail and her own ipod beside her, the earbud wires tangled around it.

"Keep going, Troy, it's too early to deal with you," Gabriella replied, never shifting position.

"What are you doing?" he asked, "catching your own breakfast?"

"I went for a run and now I'm clearing my head. Or I was until you came and now it's filled with angry thoughts again." She didn't look behind her but heard a board creak as he took a step forward and another one back. "Please, leave."

"You were running? How come I didn't pass you on my way?" He noticed the stop watch on her wrist and realized she had probably been timing herself.

"I cut through a different area, I guess." She shifted slightly. "Let me know if you're going to make this a daily thing because I will take Pete's advice and stick to the main road even if the view sucks."

"That's all uphill," Troy pointed out, unable to keep the patronizing tone from his voice.

"Only one way," she said as she stood and adjusted her spandex shorts so they covered her butt again. "I'm heading back. What way are you going?" he pointed and she nodded before jamming her music in her ears and turning it up.

Troy opened his mouth to say something but she brushed by him and began running back to camp by an alternate route, leaving him standing where the wooden dock met the dark earth. Sighing, he turned his own music back on and continued down the path he had chosen.

* * *

"Tay, you don't get it," Gabriella said into her cellphone while she sorted through her clothes for something to wear on her last day before the official work began. "He's everywhere."

"I know it must be hard but maybe this is a good thing. You're both there with none of us to act as buffers or Chad to guilt trip you into behaving; maybe you can work past this three year long argument no one else understands," Taylor told her. "As long as you stay professional then I'm sure you can make it work or succeed in avoiding him like you do here."

"This isn't Lava Springs," Gabriella replied. "At least there he stayed on the golf course and I stayed in the pool. Zeke coordinated our schedules so we were rarely in the kitchen at the same time. Here, we work together."

"I have faith," Taylor repeated, but she was stopped from finishing the sentence at the sound of something falling. "I'm going to have to let you go. Jason just dropped an entire tray of water glasses."

"Yeah. Has he called Chad yet?" Gabriella asked feebly, telling herself she didn't care.

"Last night. I don't know what he said, though."

"Doesn't matter, I'll talk to you later. Tell Sharpay and Ryan I said hi."

"Try to have some fun," Taylor said before hanging up.

Sighing, Gabriella plugged her phone into the charger before grabbing a pair of denim shorts and a green baby doll top. She was assigned to the theatre to help Kylie set up lighting and the sound system for the opening night of camp. Tomorrow would be a free for all as campers arrived after lunch and counselors tried to get everyone organized, but the evening was planned as an introduction to one another and Kylie wanted to do karaoke. Thinking this over, Gabriella debated her shoe choice before shoving her feet into her sandals. She grabbed her camp keys before heading out the door.

* * *

Troy eyed the path in front of him that led away from camp and up the mountain. Behind him, he heard the other cabin counselors chattering as Brett and Kylie groaned. As the only two returning cabin counselors, they knew what was ahead of them. Troy looked away from the path when Pete cleared his throat for their attention. This was the last teambuilding event before tomorrow morning when the campers arrived and Troy was thankful. Pete was much too excited about teamwork.

"Alright, so this little activity has multiple purposes," Pete began, "The first is to learn the route that the kids will take for the big overnight trip that happens in August. The second is to enforce the idea of teamwork." At this, Troy saw Pete's eyes bore into his before looking around. Following his gaze, Troy tried to find his partner in crime. "Anyone know where Gabriella is?"

"Right here," she called from the back and Troy smirked. "I got caught up fixing the pool pump."

"You got it fixed?" Cheyenne asked happily and Gabriella nodded.

"Great, so the camp engineer has arrived and we can get started. The trail is marked. All you have to do is get to the top, find your prize for surviving, and come back down. Whichever team wins get an afternoon off next week of their choosing." Applause broke out at Pete's announcement and the manager grinned. "Get going."

Troy looked over his shoulder and saw Gabriella making her way towards him. He frowned when he saw that she was still wearing her pool gear. She was going to freeze. Where was her brain? At least she was wearing sneakers, he noticed. She watched the ground as she approached him, walking past on her way to the trail head without a word.

"So now you're a pool pump expert?" Troy remarked in an effort to break the awful silence. He wasn't used to the crackling tension between them. It was normally diffused by someone around them or they yelled and were able to ignore it.

"The one at Lava Springs used to do the same thing. I learned how to fix it instead of listening to the uptight old ladies complain about us closing the pool," Gabriella said quietly as she spotted a trail marker and kept climbing.

She and Troy remained quiet as the incline of the mountain rose. They weren't really going to the top, but a clearing about half way up. Brett had told Troy earlier that it usually took him an hour up and a little less on the way back down. Troy figured that his fitness level put him on the same time frame as Brett, and Gabriella was probably equally capable. Picking up the pace slightly, he scrambled over an upturned tree and saw Gabriella do the same with ease. He could hear the others either ahead of them or behind. The climb was steady with only a few obstacles that forced them to go around. Looking at his watch, Troy grinned as they emerged into the clearing just behind Brett and Hailey.

"Forty-eight minutes, Brie. That's impressive." She rolled his eyes at his comment and proceeded across the area to the blackened fire pit that had obviously seen years of abuse. Bending down, she retrieved two packaged marked with their names and handed one to Troy. Cracking it open, Troy laughed. "Flashlights. That makes the way back down look inviting."

"We may be able to make it before it gets really dark," she commented, following Brett towards the marked trail that would return them to camp.

"I doubt it. The sun is already setting and once it gets below the tree line, we won't see anything," Troy told her, taking the lead. He expected her to get annoyed and shove him to the back but she didn't. Looking at her, he saw the shadows of the tree already casting patterns on her face. "You're going to freeze."

"I'm fine," she retorted, grabbing a branch to keep her balance as the hill dropped two feet before becoming a trail again.

"You're still dressed for the thirty degree weather in the sun," he pointed out.

"I was fixing the pump. I didn't have time to go back to my cabin." Troy let it drop as he jumped down from a boulder instead of sliding down the dirt path.

Brett and Hailey's voices faded as they got further ahead and Gabriella recognized Caleb's deeper voice accompanied by Jayme's tinkling soprano. Everyone else was either way ahead of Brett or falling further behind them, but Gabriella couldn't tell. The shadows lengthened along the ground and Troy flipped the switch on his flashlight and illuminated the path in front of them. It was quiet except for the wind and the occasional sound of a bat. Troy paused when the path dropped away again. Looking around, he tried to find a way down.

"What's wrong," Gabriella asked, coming up behind him and turning her own flashlight on.

"The path breaks away again but it's kind of high." He looked around and saw that the drop off ran both ways as far as the light would show them. "Hold this," he told her as he held out the flashlight.

Gripping the tree beside him, he inched his way forward and then dropped. Shining the light down, Gabriella saw him land softly in the dirt with his knees bent. Looking up he beckoned for the light and she tossed it down. Shining the light up at her, he tried to find a way that she could get down. It was about a four foot drop and he wasn't sure she was tall enough to do without twisting something. Her arms weren't as long either so she wouldn't be able to keep a grip on the tree.

"Alright, there's only one way to do this," he called up. "Toss me your flashlight and grab that tree branch that's by your hip." She did as he told her and inched as far as she could before Troy stopped her. "Okay, now get your balance and then lean forward. I want you to grab my hands and I'll slow the jump."

"I can do it with one hand," she told him and he shook his head.

"No, I need two to make sure you don't land weird. The ground is uneven." She hesitated and he began to shift from foot to foot with impatience. "Come on, Brie."

Reaching down she let him wrap his hands around her smaller ones. In the fading light, he saw her clench her jaw and a low hiss escape her lips as he gripped tighter. Frowning, he pulled her towards him as she jumped down lightly. He noticed her wince as she took her hands from his and he reached for the lights as she continued down the hill. Three strides and he caught up, four and he was in front of her.

"Stop for a second," he said and handed her a flashlight that she accepted with her right hand. "Now show me your hand."

She looked into his eyes for a moment before taking a step around him. He stepped with her. Glaring, she backed up and he copied her movement. Sighing, she gave up and gave him her left hand. Holding the light above their hands, Troy inspected the three fingers on her left hand that looked bruised and swollen. Someone, he suspected it was her, had wrapped white surgical tape around the base and the top joint. Watching her face, he gently nudged one. She hissed and tried to jerk it away. He held on.

"What happened?" he asked, turning over her hand and examining the palm. It was smooth.

"The wrench slipped while I was putting the cover back on the pump," she said softly as he let them go. "They got jammed."

"They look broken," he told her. "It happens in basketball."

"I'll be fine." She lifted the flashlight and pointed it down the trail. "Let's just get back."

Troy nodded and took the lead, casting the light around for trail markers. Finding them, he kept track as they headed back to camp. The way down was faster, despite the drop offs and they made good time. Reaching the bottom just after Brett and Hailey, they accepted Pete's high five and second place. Hearing voices, Gabriella turned and saw Caleb, Jayme, Anna and her partner stumbling out of the woods, laughing.

"Hey, Ella! You up for a late night swim in the pool?" Cheyenne called from beside Anna.

Gabriella shook her head at their offer, shoving her hands inside her pockets to hide the bruised fingers. When they insisted, she used the excuse that she wanted a good night's sleep and to make a few phonecalls, but Troy knew it was just an excuse. He hung back as she bid everyone goodnight and headed across the field with her flashlight, knowing that if he followed her now she would simply reject him with a sharp tongue. He heard his name and turned to see the West High baseball player approaching with a hesistant step.

"Look, man, I know there is some shit between us, but I'm in charge of organizing this Sunday's camp wide activity and I was thinking of a staff versus camper baseball game. Can I count you in?" Caleb shifted from foot to foot, hoping that the somewhat uneasy politeness that occured between Troy and Gabriella could be extended to him as well.

"Yeah. Sure. You should get Brie in on it too," Troy offered. "She's a decent pitcher." There was an awkward pause as Troy rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "I'm sorry about yesterday. It wasn't about you; it was about pushing Brie's buttons and I stepped over a line dragging you into it. What do you say to saving the rivalry for school?"

Caleb grinned and nodded his head, looking away when Jayme called his name. Patting Troy on the back, he jogged across the field to join those heading to the pool. Troy watched for a minute before slipping away unnoticed, and taking the quiet path down the hill to the cabin area. Every building was dark except Gabriella's and Troy hesitated for a moment before climbing the stairs in two strides and knocking on the door. The surprise on her face when she opened the door to reveal him caused a smile to form but it disappeared a moment later when he saw the roll of tape in her hand and the stiff way she held her left hand to her chest. Stepping inside, he shut the door with his foot as he motioned for her to hand over the tape.

"Let me help," he told her when she stubbornly held on to it.

"Troy, it's late and I'm tired. I don't have time for your games and there is too much Advil in my system to form witty comebacks. Can't we just do this tomorrow over breakfast?" She sighed and turned around, padding in her bare feet towards the bedroom at the back. When she realized he was following her, she paused and looked over her shoulder. "Why are you so determined about this?"

"Why are you so damn stubborn? Do you expect to win an award for having a high pain tolerance?" he retorted as his eyes darkened. This was why they never got along. This incessant need of hers to show no weakness. Even in school when she took on project after project just because people asked, she never said no. He didn't understand it. "Do you think everyone will turn on you if they realize you're not a superhuman?"

"God, you are so frustrating," she told him, sitting on her bed and resting her hand in her lap. "Are you not the same person who got into an argument last year during the championship game because the West captain split your lip open and they needed you to leave the court? A little hypocritical, don't you think?"

Troy couldn't argue with that but it was one thing to do it during an adrenaline rush while hundreds of people watched, and another to do it in a cabin by yourself where no would see you give in. Leaning against the door frame, he watched with no amusement as she used her teeth to pull off a piece of tape and wrap it around the the base of the two fingers that were most swollen. The other one was just bruised and still moveable. Fumbling, she managed to bind them together before reaching for another piece of tape. When it got tangled, Troy growled with impatience and pushed himself away from the wall. Pulling it from her hand, he pulled off a piece of tape and held it out, catching her hand when she reached for it. When she didn't pull away, he took it as a sign of acceptance and bound the two fingers at the middle joint and then the top one with another piece. Setting the tape on her desk, he looked around.

"Did you grab any ice on your way here?" he asked, and she pointed to the first aid kit on the shelf above her desk. Pulling it down, Troy sorted through the supplies each cabin kept on hand and found a chemical ice pack. Cracking it with both hands, he shook the crystals until they cooled and then handed it to Gabriella. "You should tell Pete, just so he can document it."

"I will," she looked out the window and then back at her hand before looking at Troy's face. "Thanks."

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. Needing something to do, he packed up the first aid kit and returned it to its place on the shelf. Feeling a breeze tickle the hair on his arm as it wafted through the open window, he closed it and hit the lock. When he looked back at the bed, he saw her watching with curiousity.

"Why are you here? Where's the sarcasm and the cocky basketball attitude? You're freaking me out." She watched him with a wary gaze, distrusting his intentions not that he blamed her. He would have reacted the same if it had been her showing up on his doorstep.

"Caleb and I came to a decision to leave the school rivalry for school and work together. We're not exactly in the same position of possibility. For whatever reason, we drive each other crazy even if it's unintentional most of the time." He looked at her and rubbed his jaw. "We don't have to like each other, but we need to work together. Pete has picked up on the animosity and so will the kids. We need to learn to fake the teamwork thing."

"So we have a professional truce," she surmised, nodding. When he shrugged and nodded, she looked thoughtful. "Fine. But I'm still running the main road."

"Fine by me," he replied before walking out of the cabin, leaving Gabriella sitting on her bed and staring at her splinted fingers.


	4. Define Delusion

**

* * *

**

The Definition of Us

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Four- Define Delusion**

_delusion (noun): a false belief or opinion._

* * *

Gabriella looked down at the clipboard in her hand and ran a finger down the list twice before stopping halfway down and nodding. Running a highlighter across the name on the page, she pulled a nametag out of the envelope Pete had given her earlier and helped the little girl slip it over her head before telling her to get her luggage. As she skipped away, Gabriella turned to the next child in line.

"Elena Montoya," the dark haired girl told her, ducking her head and letting her long hair hide the blush on her cheeks. Her skin was a few shades darker than Gabriella's and the way she rolled the syllables of her last name told Gabriella that she was probably more fluent in Spanish than she was.

"There you are," Gabriella said as she highlighted her name on the list of girls for cabin three. Smiling, she handed her a name tag. Pointing across the common area to where another girl from the cabin was struggling with a suitcase, Gabriella indicated the number on the door. "If you take your stuff over there, you and Alexandra can have the first chance to choose your beds."

Smiling, the little girl hurried across the grass while pulling her green wheeled suitcase so hard that it rocked back and forth on one wheel. Glancing around, Gabriella saw Pete trying to separate one of Cheyenne's campers from her parents while Caleb and Brett reorganized their cabin's occupants to allow for the blazing hostility between two returning campers. Behind Caleb, Hailey was keeping an eye on a group of boys with basketballs under their arms who eyed the rest of the camp with arrogant distaste. Gabriella prayed that they hadn't been placed in Troy's cabin. Hearing her name, she looked to see Ben pointing between her and a camper to indicate that she belonged in Gabriella's cabin.

"What's your name, Sweetie?" Gabriella asked when the girl reached her.

"Isabel Phillips," the girl said in a bored voice. Gabriella nodded and went down the list while inspecting the child from under lowered lashes. She was wearing pink shorts and a pink t-shirt that matched her pink rhinestone flipflops and headband. Her long blonde hair fell in waves to her shoulders and her turned-up nose scrunched up as she rubbed her toe in the dirt. "That boy said I was in your cabin."

"You are," Gabriella told her, marking off the name on her list before looking down at her, noticing for the first time that the child had four pink suitcases piled behind her. Not knowing to sigh or grin, Gabriella realized she was looking at a mini Sharpay Evans. Dropping a name tag around her neck, she could have predicted the look of distaste that crossed Isabel's face. "If you take your bags into the cabin, you'll find some of the other girls decorating their tags. I think there may be some gems and things to match your hairband."

Isabel shot off like a rocket and Gabriella tried to locate the rest of her campers. Looking around, she located two boys who looked about twelve standing with another girl about ten. After directing them to their proper cabins, she handed out nametags to three more of her girls that Jayme had rounded up. Walking past Troy, she heard him explaining to a small boy with round glasses that the frog he carried was not entering the cabin. She snorted and he glared at her before turning back to the frog kid. Entering her cabin, she was met with stony silence that took her aback for a moment.

"Okay, what happened?" she asked, seeing Alexandra, Elena, Sara, Fiona and Delia sitting crossed legged on one bed while Isabel stood on the other side of the room with her hands clenched into fists and an angry blush on her face.

"The Pink Princess got mad that Elena used the last of the silver glitter glue," Delia said, squirming on the bed as Isabel glared.

"I didn't get to use any!" the accused girl cried, looking for Gabriella to help but the counsellor had become immune to the power of pouting. Sharpay was an expert.

"That is no reason to yell, Isabel," Gabriella reminded her. "There is more glitter, you just had to ask. Now, we are going to cover some rules. Number one is that if you have a problem, you come to me. Any problem. Number two is that you never leave the cabin by yourself and without telling me. Number three is that we don't name call." She looked at Delia when she said this, indicating that 'Pink Princess' was never to escape her lips again unless agreed upon by Isabel.

Continuing through the rest of the rules, Gabriella tried to size up each girl. Isabel was obviously used to getting her own way and the temper tantrum had made the other girls distrust her. Alexandra and Sara seemed to be fairly easy going and took everything in with even consideration. Elena was the quiet one who Gabriella could see falling under Isabel's commands if not watched while Delia was bubbly and excited about everything. Fiona was harder to read, but Gabriella figured she would come out of her shell by the end of the week. Smiling as all the girls nodded that they understood the rules, Gabriella told them to find their sneakers and meet her outside.

* * *

Troy crossed his arms and paced the grass in front of his cabin where his campers were lined up, ramrod straight and chins up, while he scrutinized them like a sergeant-general. With the camp issued navy blue t-shirt stretched across his chest, the lanyard around his neck and the mirrored aviators covering his eyes, the boys were taking him more serious than anything else in their lives.

"We do not go anywhere without a buddy!" he called out.

"Yes, sir!"

"We do not wake up before 7am!"

"Yes, sir!"

"We do not kiss girls behind the cabin!"

"Eww, sir!" they responded, but straightened up when Troy snapped his head towards them with a slight grin. "I mean, yes, sir!" they each corrected.

"We do not-"

"Troy, what are you doing?" Pete interrupted and Troy snatched the sunglasses off his face.

"Rules, boss."

"Perhaps we could cover them with a little more tact."

"Team dismissed!" Troy told his group, turning away from Pete with a gleam in his eye. "Let's play some ball!"

* * *

Gabriella leaned against the chain linked fence, feeling the wire leave imprints in her skin, as she watched her girls play a horribly coordinated game of basketball. Curls that were escaping her hair elastic and haphazard ponytail tickled the back of her neck and her uniform t-shirt felt heavy as the sun beat down on the asphalt from overhead. Her sunglasses were in place to reflect not only the glare off the mineralized ground but also the thousands of sequins bejewelling Isabel.

It seemed that Sara and Delia were the only girls from the cabin who had ever held a ball and knew how to use it. Elena shrank back every time someone passed it to her while Isabel simply batted it away like it was a bee. Alexandra had complained that she wanted to play soccer and that any game where you could hold the ball was stupid and Fiona had abandoned the game and was shooting free throws that couldn't reach the rim. The athlete in Gabriella told her to take charge and help them with the logistics but the other part of her kept saying she had all summer and right now she should milk free time for all it was worth.

"Montez!"

Sighing, she pushed away from the fence as Delia caught the ball and froze, watching the boys invade the court. Pretending to be engrossed in her nailbeds while waiting for Troy to approach her, she saw her girls group closer together. She looked up when his shadow passed over her.

"Bolton," she greeted him with a nod of her head. She caught his quick glance at her mangled fingers and then back up at her face. Without being able to see his eyes, she found him unreadable. "Here to join?"

"Pete grouped all the cabin teams together for free time until supper," Troy told her although she already knew that. "Why are you letting them have a free for all?"

"It's free time," she quipped with a lazy smile, knowing the competitive side in him was trying to eat its way out, "hence the free for all."

"The boys want to play a game," he told her in a rock hard voice and she leaned over a bit to look behind him. So, he had gotten the future LA Lakers' posse. That should help their egos. "Do you mind if we organize one?"

"Not at all," she grinned looking him in the eye although all she could see was her own reflection. "They're all yours." She watched him take a few steps towards the girls before she called out to him. "I'd watch out for the sparkly one if I were you."

Sliding down the fence, she bent her knees and let her wrists dangle on top. She couldn't hear Troy's voice but she could see the facial expressions of the girls. Elena looked less than pleased and Fiona looked annoyed when Troy called her over with a "yo, princess". Alexandra was obviously still protesting the worthiness of basketball while Isabel put both hands on her hips and stamped her feet. Finally, after what Gabriella could only assume was carefully manipulated cajoling, Troy blew the whistle for the game to start before walking over to join her by the fence.

"I see you got the basketball gangsters," she said to him, watching them swat the ball out of Sara's hands and race down the court.

"And you have a mini drama queen," he retorted, seeing the ball fly towards Isabel who ducked and screamed.

"How's the frog kid?" she asked, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. Troy couldn't help but laugh as well. The kid was kind of an oddball.

A shout forced their attention back to the court where the game was falling back into a free for all with the boys taking advantage. The two counsellors tensed in anticipation as they watched one shove and then an intentional trip as the boys got more and more aggressive.

"Are you going to put a stop to that?" Gabriella asked, standing up from the ground.

"They're fine. The girls can take it," he told her nonchalantly and Gabriella tightened her jaw as another shove took place.

"They're not playing fair, Bolton, and you know that," she hissed taking a step forward as one of the boys yelled at Sara for breaking the rules.

"Well, she is travelling," Troy pointed out, although he did move to stand beside her. "Really bad travelling."

"So go play referee, Hotshot, just don't stand there." The words were barely out of her mouth before she heard a yell and then a scream, only to turn around and watch Delia punch one of the cabin four boys in the face. Too late.

Rushing over, Gabriella pulled her camper back as Troy tilted the kid's face to see where a red mark was already forming on the outer edge of his eye. Gabriella turned back around and was busy lecturing Delia on the code of no violence and the possibility of punishment when she overheard the conversation Troy was having with his camper.

"No, Kyle, you're not in trouble. She shouldn't have hit you and I'll make sure her counsellor punishes her for that type of behaviour," Troy was telling his camper as he applied an ice pack from the kit in the equipment closet.

"Excuse me?" Gabriella inquired, facing him with one hand on her hip although she was still crouched down at Delia's level. "Your kid pushed her and unfairly grabbed the ball. She shouldn't have hit him but he has some fault too."

"She punched him!" Troy exclaimed.

"Yes, and she has dish duty in the kitchen tonight for that but what about Kyle? Are you just going to let him off the hook? At least make him realize that he wasn't playing fair!" The campers all took a step back and looked at each other as their counsellors took a step forward.

"He didn't punch anyone in the face!"

"So that makes him a completely innocent victim?"

"She hit him!"

"You didn't answer the question!"

They didn't notice that Caleb and Hailey had entered the court, leaving their kids waiting outside the fence. Motioning to Gabriella and Troy's campers to join the others, they approached the arguing leaders with hesitancy. Hailey bit her lip before looking at Caleb, indicating he could dot he honours of interrupting.

"Uh, guys?" he called softly and not even close to loud enough to grab their attention.

"See, Troy, this is what is so aggravating about you! You don't even see how he helped escalate the situation!" Gabriella snapped.

"No, this is where you should be advocating the no exception to the rule policy that you're always preaching at school but instead you want to make an exception!"

"Guys?"

"It's not an exception!"

"Bolton and Montez!" Caleb yelled.

"What?!" They hollered, turning to see who had interrupted.

"The kids? Supper? You plan on ending this soon?" Caleb sounded slightly annoyed and Gabriella felt her cheeks flood with color, knowing that as subtle as he was being, it was a reprimand.

"Yeah. Right now," Troy growled, brushing past the others and calling for his campers to follow him.

Caleb watched as Gabriella clenched and unclenched her fists until she got her temper under control. When she looked up, he met her gaze and raised an eyebrow to ask if she was okay. Shoving her sunglasses back in place, she resecured her bangs with a bobby pin. He put a hand on her elbow when she walked by and she sighed.

"I'm fine," she told him, "we need to go. Delia has dish duty in the kitchen for giving one of his kids a black eye."

Walking past Hailey without a word, she quietly told her girls to follow her as she led the way to the mess hall. Somehow, she knew, she needed to learn to reign in her temper where Bolton was concerned.

* * *

Troy didn't look up as Gabriella slammed her plate of spaghetti on the table before sliding into the spot beside Hailey. Listlessly twirling his noodles onto his fork, he kept his eyes on his food while listening to the strained conversations taking place between the counsellors. News of his argument with Gabriella had circulated faster than he could retrieve his meal from the kitchen staff, and his gut twisted and knotted with the indignation that he had let her provoke him into something so stupid.

Scanning the room, Troy located his cabin two tables away. The six ten-year-olds were shovelling pasta into their mouths as if someone was threatening to take it away. A quick disagreement broke out when Justin helped himself to the last piece of garlic bread but it was solved when a kitchen chef replaced the empty basket with a full one. They seemed to be ignoring the table full of Gabriella's girls seated at the table behind them, shooting murderous glares with their noses upturned. Inwardly sighing, Troy reached for a piece of bread and searched the table for the butter.

"Brenner, can you pass the butter down?" Troy said quietly, causing the table to fall into silence.

"Uh, sure. Ella, can you hand this down?" Caleb asked from the far end of the table. Gabriella looked up from her conversation with Hailey and Troy saw her register the question. Taking the butter dish from Caleb's hands across the table, she reached down the table to Ben.

"Ben, can you give this to Bolton?" She avoided the lowered glace Troy gave her as Ben nudged the dish the few extra inches within his reach.

"Thanks," he muttered and Gabriella turned back to Hailey as the table relaxed slightly at the avoidance of a probably argument.

Replacing the knife when he was finished, Troy used his bread to soak up the remaining tomato sauce on his plate. The mess hall rattled with utensils that clanked against plates and glasses that hit glass water pitchers. Voices rose and fell as counsellors discussed schedules and the campers tried to talk over one another. Troy listened silently as Ben and Brett discussed the weather outlook for the week and the tentative canoeing plans. Without meaning to, his attention drifted and he caught the low voices of Gabriella and Hailey talking to Kylie, who if he remembered, was running the theatre activities.

"I'm just worried we won't have any volunteers. My girls are pretty shy," Hailey was saying to Kylie who shrugged.

"We'll try and if it doesn't work, Pete has some group activities they can do on the field until the opening campfire," Kylie told her, reaching across the table to pick an apple out of the baskets of fruit that were always on the table. "Plus, if we have to, the counsellors can get up there and sing. Jayme's not bad and I know Brett is pretty decent on guitar. I'll remind him to bring it with him."

Troy realised they were talking about the karaoke night planned for the hour after supper while Pete and the senior staff started the big campfire. He had to agree with Hailey that the chances of getting campers on stage were going to be slim. He felt a smirk tug at his lips when he realized Gabriella was swirling the ice in her glass and not adding her own opinion to Kylie's idea of making counsellors join. Knowing he shouldn't, but not being able to stop himself, he opened his mouth.

"Brie sings," he informed the drama director with a smirk that deepened when he saw the fire darkening Gabriella's brown eyes.

"Bolton," Gabriella warned with a hiss.

"Our drama teacher always makes her the understudy for the school productions," he added, digging her into a hole she wouldn't escape judging by the excitement in Kylie's eyes.

"Really? Well then, that's great. The counsellors can start and then kids and then the campfire," she gushed with energy. She jumped, then, as if hit by an epiphany. "And I know what we can do for the mid-summer show. A talent show that all the counsellors have to participate in. Oh, it will be so much fun!"

Troy rolled his eyes but he wasn't fully listening to Kylie, he was staring into Gabriella's eyes as she tried to kill him dead with only her will power. She wasn't succeeding and Troy felt his smile widen. People at the table were adding to Kylie's idea and Troy ducked his head when Kylie announced that Gabriella would be performing then too.

"Can't waste your talent, Montez," he told her with black amusement, but he felt slightly uneasy at the passive look she shot him a few seconds later.

"You should have considered all my talents before pulling that stunt, Bolton," she reminded him as she stood to leave.

"Which one did I leave out?" he asked cockily, leaning back with his hands behind his head.

"The one that led to Chad having blonde hair for a week after cutting my hair in the seventh grade." She grinned as Troy visible paled with recollection. Leaning close to his ear as she walked by on her way to the dish collection line, he shivered as her warm breath tickled his neck. "Payback, Bolton. You forgot I was always better at it."

* * *

Gabriella could hear her girls giggle and laugh as they sat on the sanded floor of the theatre, thumbing through CDs of karaoke music. Bean bag chairs and mats were scattered all over the floor for the audience in place of upholstered chairs and the main doors were thrown open in anticipation of the other cabins' and their cabins. Finding the proper pulley for the task she was working on, Gabriella gave a tug and heard the curtains slide open as the rods and tracks moved. Tugging again and pulling until they were fully opened, she stepped onto the stage where the spotlights were already shining.

"Find anything good, girls?" she asked, turning both microphones on and gently tapping them to make sure they were still working.

"Some of this is old," Isabel pointed out, waving a disk that if Gabriella squinted, she could barely make out the title. "But the ones you had in our cabin are cool."

"Well, how about you bring them up here and we'll add anything you want to the laptop playlist that Kylie made," Gabriella suggested and the campers scrambled to stack the cases into a pile and carry them up the stairs built in front of the stage.

Fifteen minutes later, cabin three had reclaimed their spots at the front of the theatre while the other cabins spread themselves out around the room with their counsellors leaned against the back wall where they could watch and keep an eye on things. On stage, Kylie and Gabriella were quietly discussing the quick announcements that Pete had asked them to review while they waited for everyone to settle. When Cheyenne's cabin finally found a spot between cabin three and cabin nine, Kylie tapped the mic to get the campers' attention.

"Alright, guys. Pete wants us to cover a few things first while we have a microphone handy," an annoyed murmur rose and fell before Kylie continued. "After we're done in here, you are to wait for your cabin counsellor before heading out to the campfire. When the fire is done, you are to head back to your cabins with your counsellor and they will tell you the activities for tomorrow."

Gabriella listened from stage left as Kylie explained that there would be five activities the next day and each group of cabins would rotate through each activity. She gave them the lecture on how even when they were at an activity not run by their normal counsellor, they were to act respectively and behave. She then rattled off the list of who was running each activity so they would know who to look for. As she said names, the counsellors would wave from the back. Finally wrapping it up, Kylie smiled into the crowd and clapped her hands.

"Now, for the fun part. We figured some of you would be a little nervous about getting up here on your first day so the counsellors have volunteered to go first!" At the mention of volunteer there was a round of snorts and laughs from the back of the room as the counsellors remembered the volunteering at supper. "So, first up is Brett who is going to do his own music instead of using ours. So, Brett, get up here!"

Brett's cabin of boys clapped and cheered as Brett climbed the steps with his guitar in hand. Leaning into the mic, he grinned down at the campers as he adjusted the stand to suit. As Kylie left the stage, he waved.

"When I told the boys I was coming up here, they decided to make some requests. I'm only doing one but it won the votes so here it goes," he told them as he picked out a few chords before picking up the pace and launching into what Gabriella recognized as 'Hey There, Delilah' by Plain White T's.

She had to admit, Brett's voice wasn't bad but he was drowned out part way through by the kids in the crowd joining in as they picked up the easy words. When he finished, he stood and gave an obnoxious bow towards the crowd and Gabriella and Kylie standing in stage left. When he finished, he offered the microphone to Gabriella who left her place and took her spot at center stage.

"Well, that will be a hard act to beat but I'm sure we'll do fine," she said into the mic, scanning the people at the back before her eyes fell on Troy in a black and red Wildcats hoodie and jeans. She grinned and the easy look on his face changed to confusion. "Since, I was so kindly volunteered to do this tonight, I thought I may as well extend the invitation to a certain counsellor." She waited for the claps and cheers to die down as Troy glared and shook his head defiantly from the back. "See, some of you know that Troy and I go to school together, but what you don't know and East High doesn't know, is that Troy tends to sing out loud to his ipod." Laughs erupted. "And we mustn't leave such talent untapped, should we?"

Troy was glaring as she smiled innocently from the stage, waving the extra mic at him while Ben pushed him towards the stage, laughing. Deciding that it wouldn't be in his best interests to refuse in front of a bunch of kids who were trying to avoid similar humiliation, he climbed the stairs to the stage by himself and made an effort to appear at ease.

"You are so dead," he hissed to Gabriella as she shoved the mic in his hand.

"Never underestimate what I am willing to do," she told him as she took a few steps to the laptop to play the song her cabin had chosen for her to do. "On a less hostile note, I wouldn't have done it if I thought you would humiliate yourself."

She placed the mic in its stand and waited for the first notes to start. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Troy toying with the mic and wiping nervous hands on his jeans. For a moment, she felt guilty, but she had been honest when she had told him it wasn't to humiliate him. She had heard him sing on numerous occasions over the years and he had a decent voice. The first time, she had been passing the gym after decathlon practice and heard someone singing along to a stereo in the bleachers. She had been surprised to find it was Troy. The second time had been during track practice and he was waiting in the bleachers for Chad to drive him home when he finished and he had been quietly muttering the words to the unheard song when Gabriella had retrieved her water bottle from the step in front of him. After that, it no longer surprised her although she found it amusing that he didn't seem to notice himself doing it.

Taking pity on his predicament, Gabriella took the opening lines and began singing, hearing Troy cut in several bars later. The audience began cheering and clapping along when they realized that the duo on the stage was not going to cause their ears to bleed. By the second verse, Troy had lost his momentary stage fright and Gabriella had to smile as he got lost in the song. She hadn't even recognized the name of it when the girls found it among the collection she had accumulated from Kelsi Neilsen over the years in the drama department, but Troy wasn't missing a beat. Still smiling, Gabriella held the last note as the music ended and the camp erupted in applause.

"Montez, you had better watch your back," Troy hissed as he replaced his mic in the stand and followed Gabriella off the stage as Jayme took their place. "Just wait."

"Even you, Bolton, are allowed to have multiple interests. You're even allowed to be good at them," Gabriella told him in a false tone of encouragement, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"I know that. That's why I can play every position on the court," he told her with a smirk. It faltered at the slightly sympathetic look she gave him in return.

"When will you realize that basketball is only a part of who you are? Sometimes, you're allowed to step outside the neat little box you built for yourself," she informed him before leaving the stage to join Hailey and Brett at the back of room.

She ignored the fact that Troy chose to sit with his cabin instead of following her.

* * *

It was late when Troy glanced at the clock on his cell phone. The campers had been ordered to bed after a campfire that had resulted in numerous burnt marshmallows and one second degree burn for a kid in Brett's cabin. Lights out had been enacted although he could hear the hushed whispers wafting through the open windows of his cabin as he sat on the steps outside. Glancing around the cabin area, he saw that the only lights on were those coming from counsellor rooms or the tiny lanterns that lit the path leading from the main camp. Running a hand through his hair, Troy hit a familiar number in his speed dial and waited for someone to pick up.

"Yo, Hoops," Chad answered and Troy could hear the pulsing beat of music in the background.

"What are you guys up to? I thought you would be home." He redid the time difference calculations and confirmed that he had been right the first time. Chad's shift at the country club should have ended two hours ago.

"Pool party. Evans pulled some strings and got us all permission to stay late and use the pool. Fulton almost fell over backwards saying yes," Chad laughed. "So how are things on your end?"

"Ugh, you have no idea. I mean, I'm glad there's no Fulton, but I'm pretty sure Brie or I will be dead by summer's end," Troy informed him, leaning back against the railing of the porch.

"The two of you need to get your hormones in check," Chad told him, envisioning the look of horror most likely passing over Troy's face. The sputtering and stuttering on the other end confirmed it. "Don't deny it, Troy. You go out of your way to push her buttons and get all in a tizzy when she wins or ignores you. You don't bully her or pick on her, you stay within a set guidelines that you refuse to cross, ad yet you know where to push to get her all riled up."

"Because it's fun!" Troy protested, sitting up and wincing at how loud his voice was. "It's just a source of entertainment for class, man. There is nothing between Brie and me. Just a long history of harsh dislike."

"Dude, you call her Brie. She calls you Bolton and you call her Brie. See a problem there?" Chad didn't get an answer. "Now on her side of things, she doesn't really have many nickname options but still, when she calls you that, her eyes go all dark and fired up. The two of you could start a fire in the middle of Alaska with as much heat as there is between you."

"That is ridiculous. Did she call you today? Is this another form of payback? She didn't get enough at karaoke?" Troy asked, not liking the weird feeling in his stomach of hearing his best friend pull out and display feelings that must be visible to everyone but himself.

"Karaoke? God, what happened this time?" Chad asked, amusement laced in his voice. Troy heard someone ask who was on the phone and Chad answered. When the person responded with a snarky comment, Troy recognized Taylor McKessie.

"One of her kids hit one of my kids in basketball and we got into an argument over it," Troy told Chad, but Gabriella's neighbour knew there was more and told Troy he wanted the whole story. "So, I kinda told the drama director that Brie had a decent singing voice and could participate in the karaoke night this evening."

"Troy, you know she hates being on display. Sharpay and Ryan are always trying to get her to participate in the talent show here every summer and she always turns them down. She'll do the group thing but never on her own." Chad sounded disappointed but Troy was still mad about earlier and rushed to defend himself.

"No, dude, you don't get it. She made me get up there with her! Me!" Troy glared at the dirt as Chad's laughter trickled over the phone line.

"Oh, that's priceless. I'm going to have to call her tomorrow and give her props on that."

"Ugh, she's everywhere. Always playing shrink with all this psychobabble about being an egotistical jerk who puts himself in a box," Troy ranted at a low whisper.

"Look, I'm not getting in the middle of your lovers' quarrel. Just try to get along ad stay alive until August," Chad suggested and Troy mumbled something Chad couldn't hear. "I have to go. Zeke made this sweet cake thing and Jason is eating it all."

Troy said goodbye and hung up before getting to his feet and entering the cabin. Shutting the door softly behind him, he silently made his way to the back where his bed was. Closing his door, he shed his clothes and found a pair of sweatpants for bed. Leaving the window open, he was about to crawl into bed when he heard a soft voice outside. Sitting up, he strained to hear.

"Sharpay, just go eat the cake. Tell Taylor I'll call her next week sometime." Troy listened as Gabriella said goodbye to her friend, realizing she must have had the same thoughts as him and caught her friends in the middle of the pool party as well. Lying down as her footsteps disappeared, Troy watched the shadows dance on his ceiling. Thoughts tumbled through his head and each time they came back to what Chad said, Troy wanted to scoff.

"There's no way," he said to himself before rolling over and jamming his pillow over his head as if it would drown out his thoughts.

No way.

* * *

_**AN:** Thanks for all the reviews so far! I got told that the running scene was a little expected, which I knew when I wrote it, but it was so typical plus it will serve a purpose later in the story. Keep reviewing! _

_Thanks,_

_~Van_


	5. Define Opposition

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Five- Define Opposition**

_opposition (noun): __the act of opposing or resisting._

* * *

There was no way she felt anything for Troy Bolton. It was Troy Bolton! Zeke must have drugged the cake at the pool party before feeding it to Sharpay, Gabriella decided, replaying the conversation over and over in her head as her feet pounded against the dirt on the main road. There was no way. _Then why are you obsessing over it?_ The traitorous part of her mind interrupted the heavy denial as she jammed her finger on the button of her ipod and jacked up the volume up loud enough to jumble her thoughts and force Troy from her mind.

After calling Sharpay on Wednesday night, all Gabriella could think of were Sharpay's words to 'just kiss him and end the tension'. Is that really what people thought of their relationship? That Troy and she were simply building to a heated explosion of hormones? There wasn't any truth in it, Gabriella repeated to herself, none at all. It was dislike. The inability to understand each other. The grating of personalities on each other's nerves. But romantic feelings? Never. No way. Picking up her pace, she evened out her breathing as she hit the crest of the hill and the administration building came into view as she turned off the main road and onto the private path of the camp. Stopping in front of the bulletin board hung outside the main office, Gabriella rested her hands on her knees and leaned forward as she caught her breath.

Hearing voices, she glanced at her watch and swore under her breath when she saw that she was running late. It was Sunday morning and instead of breakfast, the kitchen staff was serving brunch to allow for a few extra hours of sleep. Gabriella looked up to see Pete and Caleb enter the mess hall and she gave them a wave before straightening and jogging back to her cabin to shower, dress and wake up six eight-year olds. Pulling her earphones from her ears as she passed Troy's cabin, she could hear his voice through the open front window. Taking the steps to her cabin, she paused at the door to shake herself of all her thoughts before starting the day fresh. No, there was nothing between her and Troy.

* * *

Troy tipped his batting helmet to the pitcher to indicate he was ready and wound up to bat. The ball missed him by a foot and he heard Caleb call out encouragement to the twelve-year-old camper who was standing on the pitcher's mound. Not for the first time that afternoon, Troy rethought the sensibility of pitting the campers against the counsellors.

The second pitch was close enough to target that Troy decided to swing and aluminum connected with the ball. Dropping the bat, Troy raced for first base. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gabriella leave second and run for third. Staff and campers in the stands who weren't participating cheered and clapped although Troy was certain they had no idea was who was actually winning. When Caleb's bat connected with the ball on the third attempt, Troy shot off for second base and then third, following Gabriella into home seconds before the camper on second base ousted Caleb.

Two batters later Pete, who was playing umpire, called the end of the second inning and Troy took up his position at short stop. Adjusting his mitt, he looked to the pitcher's mound where Gabriella was tossing the ball one handed into the air while she waited for the campers to get ready. When Pete called to start, she wound up and launched the ball at the batter. The kid swung and missed, Pete called a strike, and Gabriella pitched it slower this time. Troy grinned. She was going to have a hard time slowing down to their level after all the years of pitching to Chad. On the third attempt, the sound of ball and bat connecting rang across the field and the kid headed to Troy. He slid into first before Troy caught the ball from Hailey at second base.

The game continued for another hour, with the counsellors giving the win to the kids as they tried to pitch slower and bat softer. Troy purposely hit wide twice and he shook his head as Gabriella sunk to simply lobbing the ball at some of the younger players. When the game ended with only a half hour before supper, Pete told the counsellors to occupy the kids on the field until the supper bell was rung. Looking around for his co-workers, he saw Caleb arguing with a kid from his cabin. Walking over, Troy caught the look of resignation on the baseball player's face.

"Problems, Brenner?" he asked, running a hand through hair sweaty from the batting helmet. Caleb rolled his eyes.

"They want us to play each other. See who can bat the furthest or whatever," he explained with a sigh. "Are you guys up for that?"

"Yeah, sure," Troy said with a shrug, replacing the blue helmet and adjusting the gloves on his hands. "Find me a pitcher."

* * *

Gabriella all but skipped to supper, her messy bun of curls slipping from her elastic and drooping. Dirt covered her yellow baseball uniform and her cleats clattered against the wooden floor of the mess hall as she found an empty table at the back for the staff and slid onto the bench, with her back to the wall. The smile on her face didn't slip from place as the rest of the staff trailed in after her, most of them laughing and joking. Troy glowered at her as he headed towards the kitchen to retrieve their dinners. She smiled and waved back, making a big show of relaxing.

"You're going to rub it in all night, aren't you?" Ben asked as he slid onto the bench beside her with his plate of tacos. "Not that I blame you. It was a pretty sweet hit."

Gabriella grinned and picked an apple out of the fruit basket, rolling it between her hands as she recalled the staff competition after the game. After pitching to every counsellor, Troy had told her to hand over the ball and 'show some game'. Following the exchange of multiple taunts and snappy comments, Troy had made the mistake of making a bet. Whoever could hit the ball past the outfield and onto the soccer grounds, won, and whoever lost had to play waiter at dinner. Troy lost. Gabriella was gloating.

"You can stop smiling anytime now, Brie," Troy growled as he set a plate in front of her. "And I swear if you find something wrong with it and make me take it back-" Gabriella waved his threat away with her hand as she picked up her fork and tested a piece of beef that had fallen out of her taco.

Popping it into her mouth, she savoured the spicy taste. Looking across the table, she saw Troy shovelling rice into his mouth as if it was the only thing he had eaten that day, which it wasn't because she had also watched him eat five pancakes that morning. Picking up her taco, she took a bite and frowned as she chewed. Something was weird. Taking another bite, she thought as she tasted it, trying to pinpoint the lack of taste. Or lack of peppers, she realized with jolt. Peeling away the soft shell, she used her fork to search for the topping. Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream. But no red peppers.

"Don't eat that," she told Troy, reaching over the table and pulling his taco apart with her fork.

"Brie, I told you that if you found something-" he stopped when she scraped the sour cream away to reveal the peppers buried in the beef. "Damn."

"Our plates got mixed up," she told him, taking his plate away and replacing it with hers. "Mine tasted funny. Besides, if you died people would blame me," she said with a grin, referencing his allergy to red pepper that usually resulted in hives the size of quarters.

"I don't die," he retorted, pushing away the taco she had taken a bite out of and beginning to eat the other one. "But thank you."

The others at the table were shooting looks between each other as they watched Troy and Gabriella carry on as if nothing had happened. Troy continued his conversation with Cheyenne although she still looked surprised and was only nodding her head. Gabriella was happily eating her taco and alternating bites with forkfuls of rice. Finally it was Brett who spoke up.

"Okay, what the heck was that?" he asked, gesturing between Troy and Gabriella who paused in their eating to look at him funny. "This no argument, non competitive, friendly crap? What was that?"

"Nothing," Troy responded, pulling his eyebrows together in confusion. "It's not a big deal."

"But she acted all caring and nice and you didn't even flinch," Ben protested.

"I do have a heart, you know," Gabriella glared at him, her cheeks flushing pink. "I wouldn't purposely send him into anaphylaxis. The last time he whined for days."

"I guess it's just weird that one minute you two are fighting like oil and water and the next minute you're acting like friends. It's refreshing," Brett said with a shrug as he turned back to his food.

"We grew up together. Even if you don't like each other, you learn things. Like Brie here has a serious fear of dragonflies." Troy smirked at the glare she sent him as he helped himself to a banana on the table. "It's really funny."

"Dragonflies, Ella?" Brett asked with disappointment, shaking his head and trying not to laugh. "Seriously?"

"Shut up. Have you seen them? Their eyes are huge. Always looking at you..." She flicked rice at Troy as everyone else at the table started laughing. "Squirrels, Troy?"

She smiled to herself as he flushed beet red and directed his attention to his plate while Caleb and Kylie discussed the squirrel population in Colorado. She flinched when someone's foot connected with her shin. Glaring at Troy as she reached down to rub the bruised area, she recalled her conversation with Sharpay. There was definitely nothing between her and Troy. Like Brett had said, they were like oil and water.

* * *

Sunday evening's staff meeting lasted an hour as Pete covered any first week problems and the schedule for the first full week of camp. Starting Monday, the days would be jam packed with activities. The only breaks would be for meals and the hour of free time in the afternoon just before supper. The evenings were reserved for group activities and allowed for the counsellors to share the responsibilities. Troy stared out the window at the darkening sky as the mountainside turned from green to a black silhouette. Tapping his pen on his denim pant leg so that the sound was muted, he half listened to Pete.

"Which brings us to next Sunday's group activity. Today's game went well thanks to Caleb, and I think we'll continue for the rest of the summer with a counsellor taking charge for each week. So, up for next week is Troy," Troy snapped his head back to the manager at the announcement. "Any ideas?"

"Not yet," Troy responded, hoping he didn't look caught off guard. "I'll let you know."

Pete nodded and continued down the list of things to cover. All of the kids were to have hats and sunscreen on when they were outside. Thanks to Gabriella, all first behaviour punishments were to include kitchen duty. Ben and Cheyenne would each take three shifts at the pool while Gabriella took two, using the other time to run track for those kids who didn't want to play baseball with Caleb or when Troy was running basketball at the same time. Troy rolled his eyes as Kylie complained that she needed help in the theatre and Pete responded with assurance that Gabriella would be helping there too.

"Moving along," Pete continued, shuffling papers until he found what looked like a fax by the ink smears on it. "The Maplevine sheriff's office faxed us a heads up on two cougar sightings on the north side of town. That means no one is to be in the woods or along the trails by themselves. Troy and Ella, that means ditching your usual running trails and joining the others on the track around the field unless you have a partner."

Troy groaned inwardly and slouched in his chair. He hated the track since it offered no variance as he circled around in perfect flatness. Looking down the table, he noticed Gabriella didn't look impressed either. Pete was still talking.

"One of Jayme's girls stumbled into some poison oak this morning so make sure your kids know what it looks like. It spreads so make sure you send any of the kids to the first aid cabin right away if you suspect they have it," Pete continued, shuffling through his papers and checking off covered items. "Alright, that's it. I will see you all bright and early tomorrow morning."

Pushing his chair back, Troy gathered his binder and the week's schedule as those around him did the same. Walking outside, the sky had deepened to midnight black with the stars spread across the sky. The chilled wind rushed through his hair and he saw Hailey shrug into a zip up sweatshirt. Hearing quickened footsteps, he paused and turned as Cheyenne approached him.

"We're going to put a movie on in the theatre and chill out, if you want to come. Pete said to check on the kids and come back up and he will round up some food. You game?" she asked, as Jayme and Caleb began an argument over which movie they would watch.

"Sure. Actually, what if you just give me your keys and I will check your cabin while I'm down there," Troy told her and she gladly handed over her keys along with Jayme's, Caleb's and Kylie's. "Why don't I just check everyone's?" he joked but the smile fell when Brett and Ben handed their keys over as well before running off towards the theatre. Looking over at Gabriella who was smirking, he waited for her to add to his collection but she shook her head.

"I have Hailey's plus I want to change into something warmer," she told him as they headed down the path. "We can split them if you want. Share the fun."

"It's okay; I'll be done by the time you get dressed anyway. I'll meet you outside when you're ready," he called as he took the steps to his cabin as she continued next door to her.

Nudging open the door, Troy took a quick glance around the room. Kyle, Justin and Andrew were asleep in the beds on the left side of the room. On the right, Liam and Ian had fallen asleep while pouring over Troy's latest Sports Illustrated that he had given them. Hitting something with his foot, he bent down and replaced Hayden's basketball at the foot of its owner's bed. Flicking off the lamp on Liam's bedside table, Troy continued to his own room where he left his stuff on his desk before grabbing a flashlight and slipping back out the front door. Moving quietly, he checked each cabin and turned off all the lights before returning to the front of Gabriella's cabin just as she was coming out. He waited as she checked on Hailey's cabin before they took the path to the theatre.

The camp was ghostly still as they passed the basketball courts and the pool, the underwater lights glowed a freakish green color and giving the pool an iridescent glow. Their sneakers crunched on the gravel as Troy's flashlight cut a path across the grass. The front door of the theatre was propped open and the light was on inside, lighting up the front stairs and the path. Inside, the main room was empty but Gabriella gestured to the back where one of the studios cast a flickering pattern on the floor outside the doorway.

"They're alive!" Ben called as the two appeared in the doorway.

Troy rolled his eyes as he scanned the room that was covered with beanbag chairs and blankets that they have found only Pete knew where. Two bowls of popcorn were between Brett and Caleb on the floor while Jayme held a plate of crackers and cheese over her head for Hailey to choose from. Kylie was using Brett's bent knees as a back rest and Cheyenne and Anna were on their stomachs sorting through DVD cases and calling out titles that someone would agree to and someone else would veto. Finding space on the other side of the room beside Kylie and Brett, Troy picked his way over the obstacles, handing back keys as he went, until he reached the vacant spot. He looked up, surprised, when Gabriella took the spot beside him.

"I'm giving Caleb and Jayme space," she whispered when she saw his questioning look.

"Or you want close access to the food," Brett told her as he passed back the tray of cheese, crackers and to Troy's delight, pepperoni.

"You caught me," she said, slapping Troy's hand away and taking what she wanted. "Don't pig out on the pepperoni."

"Yes, your highness," he in a sarcastic voice.

"Shut up, the movie's starting," Hailey yelled from the front as she flipped off the lights.

* * *

Voices woke Troy a little over two hours later. Slightly disoriented, he remained in the same position as he tried to figure out what was going on. Oh yeah, the movie. Well obviously he fell asleep and missed most of it because he couldn't even recall the title of it. Feeling something dig into his back he shifted slightly and noticed the extra weight immediately.

"We could just leave them here," someone was saying in a hushed whisper and Troy blinked in the dark room. Propping himself up on one arm, he saw the rest of the group just outside the door except for the dark silhouette who was currently using his stomach as a pillow. Reaching down, he saw Gabriella's profile lit by the blue TV screen.

"We can't do that, stupid. God, Brett, you really want Pete to walk in tomorrow morning and see them sleeping in here by themselves? Think about it," Anna chastised with a sigh.

"Just wake them up," Ben said in exasperation.

"No, don't wake her up," Troy told them and they spun around. "She'll never go back to sleep, trust me. Can someone take her though?"

Brett stepped forward and Troy felt the eerie sensation of cold quickly replacing her warmth as the canoe instructor picked her up. Getting to his feet, Troy noticed someone had folded all the blankets and gotten rid of the food. Pulling on the sweatshirt he had taken off earlier, he stretched his arms over his head before locating his flashlight. When he was ready, he motioned for everyone to lead the way out.

"What time is it?" Anna asked softly to whoever could answer. When someone told her, Troy was surprised to learn it was just after midnight. "Caleb, do you have Jayme's key?" she asked and Troy looked back to see Caleb carrying a sleeping Jayme. Something tightened in his gut and he looked for Brett and Gabriella on impulse. Seeing them further ahead, Troy caught up to the front and paced himself beside Brett.

"You okay with her?" he asked cautiously, Chad's words echoing in the back of his mind as he remembered the way he had reacted to seeing Caleb with Jayme.

"Yeah, there's nothing to her. Do you have her key?" Brett asked, shifting Gabriella in his arms so Troy could take the lanyard off her neck and pick the cabin key out of the handful of others that were all labelled 'pool'.

Behind them, people were saying goodnight and fumbling up their cabin steps in the dark. Troy watched Caleb and Hailey fight with the door to Jayme's cabin before nudging it open and disappearing inside. Caleb reappeared a few minutes later. Leading Brett inside Gabriella's cabin, he froze as one of her girls turned in the bed before her breathing evened out and she went back to sleep. Waving Brett inside, Troy led the way to the back where he pulled down the quilts.

"Take her shoes off," Brett instructed before laying her on the bed. Laying her on the bed, he backed up and let Troy pull the blankets up before turning off the desk lamp and following Brett back outside.

Watching the other counsellor cross the grass to his own cabin, Troy resisted the urge to go back inside and check on Gabriella in privacy. Shaking his head, he shoved his hands in his pockets and climbed the stairs to his cabin, all the while cursing Chad and his wild ideas.

* * *

Reaching the pool area on Monday afternoon after spending the morning in the theatre and on the baseball diamond with Caleb, Gabriella tossed her shorts and t-shirt into the staff office and approached the water. Sliding her sunglasses into place, Gabriella did a quick head count before sitting on the edge of the pool and letting her legs dangle over the lip as she watched Ben teach the kids in the pool how to play water polo. He had fifteen minutes left until the end of his shift and then Gabriella would take over with a new group of kids. Running a hand down her arm, she reached for the bottle of sunscreen on the concrete behind her and quickly rubbed in another layer as she soaked up the brilliant rays of sun reflecting off the pool.

A shadow loomed over her and she looked up, raising the sunglasses far enough to clearly see Troy's face hidden behind his customary aviators. Behind him a group of kids in bathing suits and t-shirts, flip flops on their feet, fidgeted and joked around just outside the fence. Standing, she tossed the sunscreen to land on her towel and shoved her feet into sandals.

"I brought your 2o'clock group. Have fun," he drawled out and two of the boys introduced one of the girls to a grasshopper they had found. "Our kids are with me for the next hour except for Alex who is in the first aid cabin with splinters from the canoe docks."

"Thanks," Gabriella told him, turning to see Ben herding the group in the pool towards the locker rooms. Catching the ball he threw, Gabriella grinned as Troy wiped water splatters from his face with a scowl. "You won't melt, Bolton. That's only for witches. Demon spawn have a different vulnerability."

"Really? Please, inform me," Troy told her, shifting his weight and crossing his arms. Although the banter had continued to occur since dawn when they found each other on the track, those really listening could detect a hint of teasing beneath it. It was as though they were doing it out of competition and not loathing. The words and tone were the same but something in the body language and their faces said that it was no longer about making the other's blood boil.

"Oh, I haven't found it yet. You'll be the first to know when I do, though," she assured him with sarcastic insistence. "Promise."

"Ri-ight." Troy drew the word out as a mocking smile tugged at his lips and for a moment, Gabriella's eyes lingered on them before she took a step back and called to the kids. With a dark chuckle, Troy left the pool area and jogged back towards the courts.

"Alright, everyone pick a lane. We're doing stroke drills," Gabriella informed the oldest group of campers who groaned. "The faster you're in, the faster we move on to diving." That got them moving.

Fifty minutes later, Gabriella saw a shadow pass over her as Cheyenne took a seat in the lawn chair beside the one Gabriella was lounging in. The campers had finished in the pool and she had sent them to get dried off and dressed before they could head to the theatre for their last activity of the day. Cheyenne would take the next group and then Gabriella would have the shift after supper for the night's camp pool party. It would be a free for all but the counsellors would also be in the pool and Ben would be guarding with her so it wouldn't be a complete disaster waiting to happen. Sighing, Gabriella turned her head lazily to look at Cheyenne.

"How was break?" she asked, stretching out and pulling at the mesh jersey that was sticking to her damp skin.

"Not really a break. Brett had the beginner group for canoeing and roped me into helping since Jayme was on soccer duty," Cheyenne said with a shrug, pulling her hair into a ponytail with her fingers. "I haven't seen you all day, how was it?"

"The usual. Taught the kids stage direction, taught the kids to bat and which direction to run the bases, taught this group competition turns and entries," Gabriella relayed, closing her eyes and lacing her fingers behind her head, "fought with Troy. All in all, it was a good day."

"You and Troy have the oddest relationship I have ever witnessed," Cheyenne said with a laugh. "On anyone else, I would liken it to siblings but there is so much tension and anxiety between you two that no one could mistake you for siblings."

"You make it sound like the next time we see each other we'll just snap and jump each other," Gabriella growled, frowning. "There's nothing remotely sexual between us."

"Oh, Honey," the other lifeguard said with a snort and an obnoxiously patronizing roll of her eyes. "Everyone sees it but you two."

"We fight all the time!" Gabriella protested, wishing the next group hurry up and arrive so she could end the conversation. She didn't understand why Cheyenne was grinning like a Cheshire cat, hiding some secret observation that Gabriella was unaware of.

"No you don't. You do it a lot, true, but not all the time. It's some sort of defence mechanism with you guys; you get competitive and vicious with each other every time you realize you're acting friendly. Last night is a prime example," Cheyenne told her, leaning back and adjusting her uniform.

"What about last night? I fell asleep and Brett brought me back to my room. Hailey told me that this morning when I asked." Gabriella glanced beyond the fence and saw Kylie leading a group of kids toward the pool. Cheyenne followed her line of sight and sat up to wait.

"Yeah, he did, but you fell asleep on Troy. The two of you just passed out for the whole movie and when we turned it off you were using him like a pillow and he didn't seem too uncomfortable with that theory. Brett only carried you because Troy insisted we not wake you up," Cheyenne explained. "I'm not telling you to go all Juliet Capulet on me, but just think about it. The two of you are closer than you let people believe. It comes out in flashes and disappears just as fast but it's there."

Gabriella didn't know what to say as Cheyenne stood and approached the newest group of campers. Cheyenne's words were methodical and based on fact, extremely different than Sharpay's flighty optimism and blunt observations, yet they both kept saying the same thing. Remembering what Taylor had said about their friends acting as buffers, Gabriella had to ask herself if it was true. Had she and Troy grown to be friends and simply not realized it because no one ever trusted them alone? She had had crushes before, and one boyfriend in her freshman year, but what she felt towards Troy was none of the butterflies-in-her-stomach or inability-to-string-together-words-in-their-presence symptoms she usually possessed. She felt no different towards him than she did towards Chad or Ryan, except that with Troy she had to keep from strangling him with her bare hands.

A memory of crystal sapphire eyes flashed in her mind and the way he had gently and expertly patched her fingers together after their hike. Or the way he smirked, always hiding his emotions behind the cocky grin or his aviators. She had fallen asleep on him last night and he hadn't said a word. The nanosecond of fear she had felt when she realized their tacos had been mixed up. Looking up from her hands, Gabriella's mouth opened in a slight 'o' as realization dawned on her. She cared about him. Not in the sexually driven way Sharpay and Chad had begun to bring up constantly, but she cared. Meeting Cheyenne's gaze from the pool edge, she looked dazedly towards the basketball courts.

"Oh, God," she whispered, although it was audible to Cheyenne. "Oh, God, when did we become friends?"

Damn Sharpay and Cheyenne.

* * *

He couldn't help but pause several feet away and watch her. The certainty in the six steps to the net. The fluid lines of her arms as she raised them for a lay-up. The way the sun glinted on the sheen of sweat covering her chest and back as she forced air into her lungs. Her black sneakered feet pounded against the asphalt as she dribbled and then shot at the net above her head. Her hair was caught up in some sort of clip that flashed silver in the dying sun and stray tendrils of hair stuck to the back of her neck. She had shed her tank top and sweatshirt- he could see them in a pile against the fence- and was dressed only in a black sports bra and red basketball shorts that Troy was pretty sure were part of the guys' basketball uniform and most likely stolen from Chad at some point in the last three years. The ball hit the ground once, twice and three times before she realized he was there and she stopped.

"How long have you been out here?" he asked when he saw that he was caught and she shrugged.

"I wasn't hungry at supper and I have to work the pool tonight so I thought I would do some thinking until my shift." She took another shot at the net as he left the path and entered the court.

"I would have thought to find you in the theatre. Chad would always look for you in there if no one could find you. Or on the track. The basketball court is not where I would have looked." He caught the ball as it bounced off the rim and took his own shot, relaxing his arms as she captured the ball and bounced it in a rhythm.

"At school, that's your territory. One of the team is always in there. The theatre is only quiet for the one week between shows or after rehearsal. I used to go to the roof where the science club keeps a garden, but after I caught you there once, I decided to use the track. Obviously it was your secret place and I didn't want to interrupt." She shrugged again as Troy looked surprised. He didn't know she had known his escape existed. She had obviously kept it to herself since Chad still bugged him about where he always disappeared to.

"So you're taking advantage of the non-Wildcat courts while you're here," he observed. She shrugged again and held the ball on one hip. "You're kind of quiet tonight."

"I've got a lot on my mind," she said quietly, tossing him the ball and picking up her clothes. Slipping the sweat shirt over her head, she pulled out the elastic in her hair and shook out her curls before binding them back up.

"Anything I can help with? Something about home?" She shook her head and stuck her hands in the pocket of her hoodie. "I talked to Chad last night," he offered.

"Me too." She looked away for a moment and then back at him. "Do you think it ever really bothered him? That we argued all the time? He always jokes about it and I always thought he didn't care because it was rare that we did anything together, but do you think it bothered him?"

"I don't know. He's so easy at brushing things off and moving on to the next shiny object that I never really thought about it. Maybe it did," Troy responded, rolling the ball between his hands and wondering what had inspired the question.

"I talked to Sharpay the other night and they were having a party at Lava Springs. Ryan and her got permission from Fulton to use the pool after hours and invite the staff," Gabriella said softly, watching his face that seemed impassive in the copper light. "And she's planning this big after-party for the night of the talent show. Ryan choreographed this whole group routine for the Wildcat staff. Zeke is teaching Shar to bake and Chad is driving Taylor back and forth to work. Everyone is so much closer this summer and the only thing I can think of is that it's because you and I aren't there."

"Maybe. Or it could be Chad's massive crush on McKessie or Ryan's need to get out from beneath his sister's shadow. It could be anything," Troy told her although he realized the validity of her words.

"No, I know it's us. They don't have to co-ordinate our schedules to keep us apart or distract us while Fulton is in the room so we don't get fired. We're not there and it's making their lives easier," she mumbled and Troy stepped towards her. "Promise me, if we survive this summer, that when we get back to East we will make an effort to get along?"

"Promise," he told her, tossing her the ball which she caught with one hand over her head. "Besides, after spending this much time together, its going to take some time to build up a new selection of comebacks and witty barbs," he joked.

"You? Witty? You've taken too many balls to the head, Bolton," she told him with a raised eyebrow as she headed to the pool for the free swim.

Troy watched her walk in front of him as he followed. Chad had been right. Whenever she said his name like that, her eyes heated to molten coffee and it wasn't from the golden glow of twilight.


	6. Define Awkward

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Six- Define Awkward**

_awkward (adjective): __Requiring great tact, ingenuity, skill, and discretion._

* * *

Gabriella hunched her shoulders and pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her damp hair to ward off the chill of the afternoon air. Seated in the pool office, with her feet tucked under her, she kept glancing between the schedule on the computer screen and the newly adapted one in her lap. When the clouds had darkened and let loose pounding rain around noon on that Saturday morning, Pete had approved the pool staff's request to close the pool and move the campers to indoor activities. Caleb, Troy and Jayme had all moved their groups indoors as well and when she had last heard, a very large game of basketball was taking place in the gymnasium. Brett's group of paddlers had joined the kids in the theatre and Cheyenne and Ben had abandoned Gabriella with the task of reorganizing the pool events for the next five days of forecasted rain while they helped Kylie organize a movie in the auditorium. Sighing, she rubbed a hand over her eyes and used a marker to underline the adjustments she had made.

Hearing footsteps above the sound of the wind, Gabriella looked up from her clipboard as Anna opened the door to the office and let it swing shut behind her. Smiling, Gabriella accepted the mug of hot chocolate that the other girl held out before taking a seat opposite Gabriella and the desk.

"You are awesome," Gabriella told her, taking a sip and letting it sit on her tongue before swallowing. "This place is freezing."

"I was useless in the gym. I have never played basketball in my life and Troy kept yelling at me for traveling, so I decided I would come up and see if you wanted any help." Anna curled her feet up and tugged the zipper on her windbreaker higher. "So put me to use."

"Actually, I'm almost done," Gabriella told her, capping the highlighter and hitting a few keys on the computer. "I just need to print this off and run it by Pete. How's Kylie doing down in the theatre?"

"Fine. She's got a movie going in one of the studios with Ben and Cheyenne in charge and she's supervising the older group in painting the sets for the talent show. I think we finally decided to do Grease for the end of summer production. It's fun and we have enough people to do it," Anna responded. Reaching over the desk, she picked up the discarded clipboard and read over the changes Gabriella had made to the schedule. "I can't believe it's supposed to rain all week. I was really looking forward to tomorrow's scavenger hunt."

Gabriella nodded as she scanned the print out for Pete, sighing inwardly when she noticed a handful of typos. Leaning over the keyboard, she methodically corrected each one as Anna chattered. Troy had finally decided on a mass scavenger hunt for the main activity on Sunday; it was supposed to include all the major areas of camp and instead of objects, the campers would be searching for counselors. Gabriella had to admit that when he ran it by the group at breakfast on Wednesday it was a good idea, but with the unending rain it would most likely be cancelled. Printing another copy of the schedule, she handed it to Anna.

"Can you double check that for me?" she asked, finishing the hot chocolate before it got cold and ruined its purpose. Anna took a few seconds and then handed it back.

"Looks good," she said, and Gabriella slid it into a plastic folder before saving the computer copy to the desktop with a clear label so that even Ben could find it. "So what's up with you and Troy lately?"

"Nothing, why?" Gabriella asked, hitting a few keys and then closing the program.

"Things just seem different between you, that's all," Anna said, wrapping her hands around her own mug despite the lack of heat. "You seem to be getting along."

It was a truthful statement. Since Monday night on the basketball court, both of them had tried to make an effort to be tolerant if not friendly. They continued to banter but one would always walk away before tempers got out of hand. Sarcastic comments were limited and outright arguments were kept out of earshot of campers and Pete. It made Gabriella uneasy, not knowing if Troy was holding something back or if they were genuinely getting along. Gabriella had begun to join the staff basketball scrimmages in the evening, although she never played on Troy's team, and Troy had not complained once since Pete designated Thursday nights for the construction of theatre sets by the staff. Outsiders would consider them friends upon observation, but Gabriella was reluctant to go that far yet.

"We are. Or we fake it," Gabriella said, leaning back in her chair and glancing at the clock. She had a few minutes before the supper bell would ring. "We talked and we're making an attempt to keep our problems between us and not involve the rest of camp."

"So, you're friends?" Anna seemed to test the word on her tongue with hesitancy as she asked the questions and Gabriella smirked.

"We're-" she thought about it for a minute, "-working on it."

* * *

Troy's plan was falling apart. It had taken him a few days to come up with an idea for the Sunday camp activity that was unique and, when he did, he had jumped up from his place at breakfast and run to Pete's office to get permission to do it: A camp wide scavenger hunt that involved the counselors instead of random objects. Troy had spent hours of his free time creating maps and clues for each of the cabins. He had briefed all the counselors on the rules and their locations. He had covered all possible problems and worked them out. He had argued with Gabriella about how this was not the first time he had put effort into something other than basketball. And now it was falling apart.

The rain had started that morning and from the moment the first drop hit the asphalt in the basketball court, Troy could see all his work going down the drain. Literally. When Pete had updated them all on the forecast that included rain for the next few days, Troy had groaned out loud. It was Saturday and he had half a day to come up with something that would not only entertain the entire camp for Sunday afternoon but would keep them inside. Frustrated, leaned back on his bench in the empty mess hall and let his head fall against the wood paneled wall.

"Have you seen Pete?" Troy's eyes snapped open at Gabriella's question. She was standing on the other side of the table, the hood of her windbreaker pulled up and water pooling around her feet as the water ran in rivers. She pushed a curl away from her face with a harsh movement.

"No," he told her, shaking his head and resettled himself on the bench again. "Why?"

"The filter system at the pool is backing up," she told him with a sigh, collapsing onto the bench opposite Troy in resignation. "I need a key to turn it off before the whole pool needs to be refilled or vacuumed."

"How long have you been looking for him? You're soaked," Troy pointed out, doodling on the notebook in front him that was riddled with ideas that he had considered and then crossed out. She shrugged at his question.

"I don't know. Maybe a half hour? Ben and I were at the pool trying to figure it out for twenty minutes before giving up and looking for Pete. I haven't been dry since leaving the pool office before supper," she told Troy, pulling her hood down and letting Troy see that even her hair was a dripping wet bun that was slipping from her hair clip. "I helped Brett tarp the canoes and tie them down in case the lake rises or the wind picks up. The filter was doing its foolishness and then I ran around trying to find our boss. I don't know what dry means." To prove her point, she shivered. "Why are you in here this late?" she asked, finally focusing on Troy and his notebook.

"I am trying to salvage tomorrow by coming up with an activity where we can all stay dry," he sighed, letting his head flop forward and rest dramatically on the table. "I'm not having much luck."

"I know you don't want to, but wouldn't it just be easier to organize a basketball game or something in the gym?" Gabriella asked, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hand.

"I want something different. There will be plenty of chances for basketball or a movie; I want something fun, especially with all the rain. I just wish I could think of something." He sighed and rubbed the back on his neck.

"Okay, well start with what we have available," she told him. Seeing the confused look on his face, she sighed. "What space is available?" she reiterated, adding, "Then what can you do in that space?"

"We have the gym, the theatre and in here," Troy said, partially to himself and partially to Gabriella who had to strain to understand his muttering. "If we eliminate the gym because I don't want another staff against camper game and we avoid the theatre because the kids have watched two movies today already, that leaves us with here in the mess hall." Troy looked up at Gabriella with frustrated eyes. "Brie, this is stupid, what the hell am I supposed to do in here with sixty kids?"

"Look, Troy, I don't know. Use your imagination. I was just trying to get you to look at it in a different way," she snapped. "It's not like I'm an expert on the varying uses of dining room utensils. Give them pots and pans and tell them to form a band for all I care." She threw up her hands and spun, looking at the clock over the door. It read 9:45 pm and she groaned. Looking back, Troy watched her with a dazed expression on his face. "What?"

"You are a frickin' genius!" he cried, standing from the bench and pacing the narrow space between it and the wall. Stopping, he slammed his hands on the table and she jumped. "We let them bake!"

"Bake?" she squeaked, raising an eyebrow.

"Bake," he stated again. "Bake, cook, prepare. Whatever it is, they can make supper!"

"You've lost your mind," Gabriella told him, deadpan. Cocking her head to one side, she tried to decide if he was kidding but he kept shaking his head.

"No, think about it. We can pick the meal and divide the parts for each cabin based on difficulty and age. The younger kids can do salad or something and the older kids can use the actual stove. Brie, it's awesome!" He slid onto the bench again and flipped his notebook to a clean page. "Now what can we make?"

"Look, Troy, are you sure that this-" Gabriella stopped midsentence when the screen door was pushed open and a very wet Ben entered the room.

"I found Pete and he gave me the key and the instructions to shut off the system. Cheyenne's up there already, trying to order a new part before Tuesday," Ben said to Gabriella, slightly annoyed that she appeared drier than him and hadn't spent the last fifty minutes scouring the camp for the manager.

"Do you need help?" she asked, getting up from the table. She was stopped by Troy's hand wrapping around her wrist.

"No, you're helping me," he insisted. "I can't put this together by myself with barely any time."

"We're fine. Stay with Troy, Ella, and figure out tomorrow," Ben said and Gabriella sighed before sitting down again. When Ben disappeared out the door, she looked at Troy, slightly annoyed.

"You're going to have to make this really specific if you want Pete to say yes," she warned Troy, who rolled his eyes at her reference to the rules. "Do you even know how to cook? And I don't mean toast or poptarts."

"Of course, I can cook-" he stuttered, refusing to meet her eyes as he considered his options while tapping his pen. Hit with a thought, he dug in his pockets and pulled out his cell phone. "We'll call Zeke," he announced and Gabriella looked apprehensive.

"We? When did this become about a 'we'?" Troy just shook his head at her question, too intent on organizing his event.

"Brie, just call Zeke," he sighed and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I'll call him and tell him you've lost your mind," she replied. "Which he will believe when he realizes you're letting me use your phone."

Troy just stood and headed to the kitchen and storage areas to see what kind of supplies they had, leaving Gabriella to explain to Zeke Baylor why she was using his friend's phone to obtain recipes that children couldn't damage or maim themselves in the process of preparing.

* * *

Sunday afternoon found Gabriella standing against the back wall of the kitchen with a fire extinguisher within reach. She had gotten rid of her sweatshirt an hour ago when the temperature in the kitchen rose past twenty-five degrees despite the outdoors being damp and chilly, and was dressed only in a pair of denim shorts and a navy blue tank top with the camp crest on it. Her hair was thrown up in a messy updo with particles of flour sprinkled throughout. A smear of something unidentifiable crossed her cheek and blended with her hair line as she swiped at a stray curl. At no point did her eyes leave the group of campers hovering around the large block wood surface that served as the countertop.

After waking Zeke up the night before, she had copied word for word his sleepy instructions on various recipes that suited specific age groups. The older kids were making individual pizzas for the whole camp while the intermediate group was slaving over chocolate chip cookies and the younger kids helped their counselors toss salads. There had been only one incident so far and that had been when one of Hailey's girls slipped on a puddle in the dining area and hit her head. Nothing catastrophic but Gabriella was still on edge as she watched and waited for one of her campers to slice themselves on a paring knife.

"See, genius plan." Gabriella slid her eyes away from her group to acknowledge Troy's presence for mere seconds before looking back again.

"It's not over yet," she reminded him.

"You are so paranoid," he told her, following her glance past her group to where Brett's older campers were removing completed pizzas from the oven and replacing them with uncooked ones. "Just waiting for the bloodshed or the burns. Have some faith."

"I have faith, Bolton," she growled, "I am just reluctant to have children in a kitchen where the adult supervision has the combined ability to boil water and barbeque hotdogs."

"You forgot toast and poptarts. You admitted last night that I can make those," he pointed out. She scoffed.

"I'm proud you can operate a toaster. Truly proud." She glanced at the clock and then over to where Caleb's group was spooning out cookie dough onto a baking sheet.

"You need to relax," Troy told her, his tone dropping the earlier friendliness and teasing tone and sounding closer to irritated and chastising. "The kids are having fun, the staff are having fun and you are standing over here just waiting for something to happen so you can say 'I told you so'. Either fix the attitude or leave and I will watch your campers."

"Troy, go bother someone else. Maybe Brett who seems to have difficulty handling a cheese shredder. Anyone but me." She took a step towards her group but a hand wrapped around her upper arm.

"Once in awhile, it wouldn't kill you to acknowledge that I am not a complete idiot or a nuisance," he hissed in her ear. She turned her head to look up at him and glared.

"You know what?" she asked, wrenching her arm from his grip, "You can watch them. I have to grab something for Pete from the pool office."

Without another word, Gabriella stormed out of the mess hall and into the pouring rain that was pooling on the verandas of the buildings and saturating the grass. She barely registered the drop in temperature as the rain beaded on her bare arms and shoulders. Dodging puddles as she walked towards the pool, she felt the water flood her sneakers and soak her socks. In a matter of minutes, she was drenched from head to toe, the water running in river down her forehead and mingling with the tears she failed to hold back.

How dare he suggest that she was condescending and antagonistic without admitting he was the same? How dare he sit there and criticize her concern for the campers when she had done nothing but help despite having reservations. She was trying to be open minded about him. She was trying to look past the smirk and the cocky attitude that she had witnessed since the day they met six years ago. She was trying and he just stood there and commented on how she was uptight and cold. What made him the expert on her?

Gabriella was shivering by the time she reached the chain link fence surrounding the pool. Digging in her pocket, she brought out the key for the lock and struggled to jam it into the opening while the metal slid in her slippery fingers. Finally hearing the metallic click as the tumblers fell into place, she let the gate swing open as she hurried across the rough cement surface to the office. The steaminess of the office finally registered as she realized how cold she was. Rubbing her arm with one hand as she flipped through papers until she found the schedule that had never made it to Pete the day before, she slipped them into a plastic page protector, she slipped them under her already drenched shirt and pulled the office door shut behind her. Hurrying, she locked the gate, slamming into something warm and solid when she spun around.

* * *

Troy let out an exasperated sigh as he watched her storm out of the building. Gripping his hair at the roots, he closed his eyes and took a breath before telling Gabriella's campers that they were finished and directing them to the dining area to set the tables. Looking across the room at Hailey, he rolled his eyes at the dark look she was sending him along with the very obvious gestures pointing to the outside.

"Go get her, please," her voice telling him it wasn't a question despite the 'please' attached, "before she dies of pneumonia."

"I didn't send her outside," Troy snapped back, although he felt slightly guilty when a sudden rush of wind drove the rain against the window like needles. Seeing Hailey's insistent look, he growled. "Fine. Stupid, arrogant princess," he muttered under his breath as he crossed the room to the door. "Spending too much time with the drama queen."

He continued to curse quietly as he grabbed a windbreaker off the rack by the door and pulled it over his head before slipping outside. Pulling the hood up, he leaned into the wind and cut down the path to the pool. When he was several feet away, he caught sight of a dark clothed figure, hunched over the lock to the gate. Cursing louder when he saw she was wearing nothing but her tank top and shorts, he climbed the low embankment and reached out to get her attention. Instead, she whirled and unexpectedly smashed into his chest.

She stumbled back, puddles splashing mud up her legs as she swiped at the hair plastered to her forehead. Glaring when she recognized who she had run into, she tried to step around him. Troy sighed in frustration, the anger leaving him with nothing but annoyance for how stubborn she could be. Reaching out, he looped one arm around her waist and spun her to face him.

"You stupid idiot, what do you think you're doing?! Do you want to get sick?!" he screamed above the wind.

"Don't call me an idiot!" she yelled back. "I am sick of you brushing off everything I say because you're too cool to consider the consequences. I helped you plan the cooking thing, didn't I? And then you mock me every time I show some worry. So sorry, Troy, if I am a little tired of the smirking and the arrogance and the you're-so-cute-when-you-act-like-a-mother-hen patronizing attitude. I am not a child! I notice when you do it!"

"And I notice every time you roll your eyes and pretend to humor me when deep down I know you're concocting a back up plan for when I screw up!" he shot back.

"Because some times you just walk into things head first without thinking! Because sometimes you need to stop and remember you're the responsible one and things can happen!" Her anger and frustration lost some of their power when a shiver shot through her and her chattering teeth caused the last few words to slur.

"And sometimes I just wish you would sit back and have fun and not feel like you need to take charge and be responsible for everything. If I screw up, it's not on you, it's on me and I know that!" This was not working, he thought, she was never going to just give in.

"Yeah, well, you need to-" she was cut off by Troy stooping to throw her over his shoulder- "what the hell do you think you're doing, Bolton? Put me down!"

"I am not going to stand out here all night and argue with you in the pouring rain. If you refuse to give in go inside, than I'll just help you along," he told as he headed up the path to the mess hall.

"I'm not finished yelling!" she called from behind him where she fought to breathe against the fabric of his jacket.

"We'll finish it when you're dry and not showing signs of hypothermia. Maybe by then your teeth with stop chattering and you'll be more convincing," he commented as he mounted the stairs to the mess hall and pushed open the door. Warm air hit them both and the clattering of dishes and utensils stilled at the sight of two dripping wet counselors filling the doorway.

"Oh God, he killed her," Anna whispered obnoxiously and her campers tittered as Troy glared.

"Could someone find some blankets and some dry clothes? Brie, here, decided that frolicking in the rain would be more entertaining than my presence." Troy saw Brett leave the room with Hailey as he walked between the tables to the kitchen in the back.

"I was not frolicking," she protested dumbly, finally letting the full effect of the rain sink in. "I needed air." Someone snorted and she lifted her head to glare at the people watching. She gasped as the world righted itself and Troy set her down on a chair in the back just as Brett reappeared with blankets.

"Hailey's finding her clothes," he told Troy as he wrapped one blanket around Gabriella's shoulders and handed another one to Troy. "See if you can dry her hair."

Gabriella's protests were silenced by a look from Brett before he left the room, closing the door to the kitchen behind him. Reaching up, she pulled the clip from her hair and let it fall down her back in saturated curls. Reaching for the dishtowel Troy held, she ran it through her hair in an attempt to get dry and avoid conversation. She kept her eyes downcast as Troy watched her.

"I was going to say I'm sorry but I think that was the most informative argument we've had yet," he said quietly, his voice even and emotionless. Gabriella didn't answer but her marble colored cheeks flushed pink. "Who knew you hated me that much."

"I don't hate you," she whispered, rubbing the end of her hair, "you just drive me over the edge." Troy snorted.

"It's mutual," he replied. He was quiet for a moment before he reached over and pulled the blanket up over her exposed shoulder. "You know I don't mean it most of the time, right?"

"Sometimes it's hard to tell," she said quietly. "And most of the time you don't even realize what you're saying. You just blurt it out and forget that I'm not one of the cheerleaders who get excited just because you talked to them despite the sarcastic criticism."

"I'm not as much of an ass as you seem to think I am," he told her hotly, folding his arms.

"And I'm not as boring as you keep suggesting. I have a life, it just doesn't include you most of time," she responded. Sighing, she leaned back against the wall. "Why do we keep doing this? We can go days at a time and then argue over the most abstract things."

She was right, Troy thought. He had been genuinely trying to make peace with her all week and they had been successful. It seemed that there was no small disagreement with them; it had to be the next world war. The last week he had been trying to find all the things in her that Chad would mention when Troy commented on their relationship. He tried to find the patience, the friendliness, the easy going attitude and the confidence; it was all there. But then there were other things that other people didn't notice. Like the way she put everyone first and couldn't say no to helping. It was those things that frustrated Troy to no end because he saw how much she would give without expecting anything in return. And people would keep on taking.

"You're not boring," he said. "Sometimes you do this thing where the perfectionist in you overrides everyone else's capability and you take charge without giving anyone else the chance to prove it to themselves and others." She looked up, surprised at how on the mark he was, "and I don't mean it to be mean but you need to trust people. You need to let people make their own mistakes. It's why you correct Taylor's homework when she's not looking and it's why you always let Sharpay audition for the lead so that she won't have to face competition and disappointment. It's why you always pick up Chad from parties and let him sleep it off at your house so that his parents don't know."

"But, I-" Troy cut her off with a shake of his head.

"We all make mistakes, Brie, but in order to learn from them we have to know the consequences. You have to stop bailing people out." Looking around the kitchen where the remnants of the meal were spread over the counter. "And when they succeed, you have to give them due credit."

Gabriella was stopped from responding when Hailey entered the room, clothes in hand. The other girl was silent as she took over towel drying her hair. When she finished, she shook out an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants that Gabriella guessed she had taken from the staff supply in Pete's office. Holding out the shirt, Gabriella pulled her wet top over her head as Troy turned his back. When it was on and the shorts were next, Hailey motioned for him to leave.

"We're fine. Go help everyone else round up the kids for games night in the gym. We'll be there as soon as I find her a jacket,' Hailey told him in an efficient voice that reminded Troy of Taylor McKessie and for that reason he left.

"Troy?" Gabriella called before the door shut. Taking a few steps back, he looked at her. "I'm stealing your scavenger hunt for next weekend,' she told him, searching his eyes for something he didn't realize was there.

"Yeah, well, someone should get to do it."

It wasn't an outright apology from either of them but they knew it was as close as they would get for now. Troy decided not to point out that she had used his first name twice in the same day. Slipping past the questioning looks of the other counselors and some of the older campers, he slipped a smile in place and called for all the campers to leave their dishes and head to the gymnasium. He resisted the urge to linger at the kitchen door and listen in on Hailey's harsh whispers to Gabriella.

* * *

_**AN:** Thanks for all the awesome reviews. I had a really hard time with the transition in this chapter and I'm not sure it turned out right so let me know what you think. It may be slightly predicatable but I really want to cement the idea that alot of their relationship is buried beneath the frustration and habit so much of their interactions are reactionary and not necessarily thought out on a conscious level. Let me know how you took it! Thanks. ~Van_


	7. Define Exposure

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Seven-Define Exposure**

_exposure (noun): the act of revealing the truth or lacking protection_.

* * *

Three weeks after the start of camp and a little over a week since the rain incident with Gabriella, on a Wednesday afternoon, Troy lay spread out on his camp bed while he stared at the ceiling. He had kicked off his sneakers and socks when he returned from the mess hall after lunch and left them in a pile just inside the door of his room. The camp regulation t-shirt and lanyard were thrown over the back of the desk chair along with his ball cap. His shorts rode low on his hips and his white undershirt had ridden up slightly during his short-lived nap. Glancing over at the alarm clock on the table beside the bed, he groaned and tried to will his body back to sleep.

It was his first afternoon off in over a week and all Troy wanted was a nap like any normal teenager who spent their days chasing kids and basketballs without the privilege of being able to sleep in past 7:30 in the morning. His legs hurt from agreeing to run sprints against Gabriella on the track the night before and his arms hurt from Brett's determination to teach him how to properly row. His back was itchy from the recovering sunburn he had accumulated over the weekend from being in and out of the pool and ignoring Cheyenne and Gabriella's reminders about sunscreen and he just want to sleep away the afternoon in his empty cabin while his campers screamed and yelled at the pool. However, after waking up the first time, it seemed impossible to return to the fuzzy recesses of unconsciousness as sounds and voices outside kept interrupting his attempts.

Hearing the approach of multiple voices mixed with laughter and yelling, Troy sat up on the bed just as footsteps shook the front stairs and the door was thrown open. As rambunctious as their approach had been, the moment the door creaked open, the campers' voices quieted down to barely concealed whispers and the occasional sound of something falling.

"Ian!" someone shushed, "Gabriella said not to wake him up." Troy grinned to himself at Gabriella's understanding. She had obviously been listening that morning when he continuously answered his co-workers' questions of how he would spend his free time with the response of 'sleep' or 'pass out'.

"Shouldn't someone tell him that they are starting supper early since there is only one barbeque?" Andrew the Frog Kid asked in a hushed voice.

"I dunno," one of the other boys responded, "But I think the counsellors are eating last. She just said to come back and get dressed but to leave Troy alone." The sound of zippers and buckles and thuds of bags persisted as the boys rooted for clothes. Troy lay back down, feeling that if Gabriella had taken the time to lecture the boys on quiet that he could at least fake a nap for a few more minutes.

"Do you think I should bring my basketball?" another of the boys asked and Troy rolled his eyes at how much it reminded him of Chad. "For free time after supper?"

"Nah, leave it here. We don't get free time tonight. Pete's letting us play flashlight tag," someone answered before the last boy declared he was ready and the group did a horribly executed attempt at sneaking back out of the cabin. If Troy had been asleep, that definitely would have woken him up.

Placing his hands behind his head and listening to the voices of the campers as they raced to the mess hall, Troy considered the boys' conversation about Gabriella. If someone had told him on the last day of school that Gabriella cared about whether or not he got enough sleep, Troy would have laughed and scoffed and asked who put had put them up to it. Now it seemed perfectly normal. A little unsettling, to realize that when they weren't arguing they actually had fun together, but normal nonetheless. The night of their argument in the rain had acted as a catalyst. All the reasons behind years of animosity and dislike were finally exposed for both of them to understand. From there, they had moved on. They talked, they joked, and they called each other on their shit. And although their friendship was far from close in the way Troy compared his relationships to his basketball buddies and Chad, he had gotten over his reluctance and admitted that he and Gabriella Montez were now friends.

Friends who apparently let themselves into each others cabins without knocking, Troy thought as she appeared in the doorway to his room. She looked surprised to see him awake but smiled slightly. She had obviously stopped at her own cabin on the way to his because she had ditched the red lifeguard shorts and tank top for the cropped sweatpants and short-sleeved hooded sweatshirt that she had thrown over her bathing suit.

"The boys said you were sleeping," she said.

"I was," he lied. "I think I woke up when they left." She nodded and tossed his shoes onto the bed.

"They finally decided we are important enough to get food so hurry up or you'll only get one hotdog," she told him with a smirk.

"One? How can anyone possibly survive off of one hotdog?" he exclaimed as he threw his shirt over his head and grabbed a sweatshirt out of his closet before putting on his sneakers. When he had shoved the laces inside the shoe instead of tying them, he stood and pushed her towards the door. "Well, what are we waiting for? Food, woman! Food!"

"Don't ever call me 'woman' again or you will no longer be a man," she reminded him as they left the cabin.

* * *

Gabriella was going to have a chat with Pete about the stupidity of giving sixty children flashlights and telling them to 'hide wherever they want'. The object of the evening's activity had been a mass game of flashlight tag, which Gabriella hadn't played since she was twelve. It had been one time and no one had found her hiding place, thus leaving her sitting in a tree for over two hours until Chad kindly mentioned that she was missing. Troy had been the one to find her, told her that trees were stupid hiding places, and then in the next round had stolen her spot. She never played again.

This game, despite her earlier optimism, was becoming slightly irritating to the counsellors. The game had progressed fairly well for the first half hour until the sun had completely disappeared and plunged every corner of the camp into darkness. Then havoc had broken loose. Kids had refused to play because of the dark and partners ditched their other halves when they refused to follow the 'light off when you're hiding' rule. Those campers who were 'It' had gotten annoyed with the inability to find everyone in five seconds and many had declared themselves 'done' after the first half hour. Pete had abandoned the game to the counsellors' charge to go finish paperwork and after listening to complaints and girly screams for an hour, Troy and Brett had declared the game over and demanded everyone come back to the front steps of the mess hall to do something else. The only problem was that not everyone thought they were serious and were refusing to reveal themselves.

Solution? To send all the counsellors off with a flashlight to route out any lingering campers. Perfect, Gabriella thought as she explored the area behind the cabins. Picking her way through the brush and the tree branches and the ferns and the grass, she shivered at the thought of what she could step on and not notice. Probably a damn anthill or deer poop, she told her over active imagination. Hearing a branch break behind her, she whirled and saw Hailey with a flashlight.

"Don't do that!" Gabriella hissed, catching her breath.

"Sorry," Hailey said sheepishly. "I didn't know you were here until I rounded the corner. Ben and Kylie found five on the other side of the cabins and Troy found two behind the pool building. We're down to four."

"Two," Gabriella told her as her flashlight picked up two boys huddled behind a tree. "Game over, boys, get back to base." They grumbled and picked themselves up, tripping on their way back. She continued on her path, Hailey following, as they combed the rest of the area before picking the path leading to the water. "This is the worst game ever."

"Definitely. It's all Pete's fault for not marking any boundaries other than camp property. They could be anywhere." Hailey looked up as two beams of light came towards them. "We found two more," she told Troy and Caleb when they were close enough to make out in the dark."

"We found the other two hiding under the canoes. We can head back," Troy said, falling into step beside the girls. He glanced at Gabriella when she swore at something.

"Nothing, a branch scratched me. Just get me out of here," she told them as Caleb chuckled. "I'm so looking forward to Friday. I'm following Troy's lead and sleeping all afternoon. After I take the longest shower in this camp's history," she muttered, referring to her upcoming afternoon off.

"Where are the kids?" Hailey asked.

"It's almost nine anyway so we sent them back to their cabins. We told them they could chill out in each other's cabins as long as their counsellor knows where they are," Ben responded. "We'll kick out the randoms at lights out."

Emerging from the woods, Gabriella swept her flashlight around and picked up the dark figures running back and forth between cabins while counsellors sat in the grass in the common area. Taking a seat on the grass between Brett and Troy, she savoured the body heat coming from both of them. The change in temperature on her skin cause a shiver and Troy looked over.

"What is it with you never dressing properly?" he asked, moving closer so that she was squished between him and Brett.

"I didn't expect to go prancing through the woods. I expected to sit inside the mess hall and wait for them all to come back," she said, shrugging. "You're one to talk, you're wearing shorts."

"But I'm not cold," he pointed out.

"Is anyone else feeling like there could be bugs crawling all over us but we don't know because it's dark?" came Anna's voice from the other side. "It's creepy."

Gabriella turned away from her discussion with Troy to give Anna a weird look. At least she wasn't the only one with irrational thoughts. When everyone was done laughing, they discussed the schedule for the next day and who would cover Gabriella's shift at the pool while she covered Caleb's baseball activities since it was his afternoon off. When Cheyenne glanced at her watch and mentioned the time, the counsellors pulled themselves off the ground and headed inside. Gabriella didn't care what time it was, she was taking a shower.

* * *

Troy was trying to ignore it. He really was. They had come so far and it was such a stupid thing, but it was driving him crazy. Twice he caught himself before he snapped at her and both times he tried to distract himself by shovelling more of his eggs into his mouth. The third time the urge to say something hit him, Brett beat him to it.

"Ella, cut it out," he exclaimed, banging a hand on the table so hard that Gabriella's fork clattered against her plate. She glared at him.

"I can't help it," she said through gritted teeth, the nails of one hand dragging up and down the flesh of the opposite arm.

"Is it a bug bite?" Anna asked, leaning over and raising the sleeve of Gabriella's t-shirt. The skin was red and in some places oozing blood where she had broken through the skin. "Damn, girl."

"I used this new body wash yesterday when I was showering and I think there's something weird in it," Gabriella explained. "It's driving me nuts. I could barely sleep last night."

"Didn't you sleep all day?" Caleb pointed out, his words muffled with his mouth full.

"Only for an hour during my free time. The rest of it I talked to Chad who was annoyed that he couldn't get Troy so he decided I would be the best person to vent to about how the Red Hawks let him practice with them and it was so awesome," Gabriella rolled her eyes as she took a bite of breakfast.

"Maybe it's dry skin?" Hailey suggested. "I had to use some moisturizer last night when my legs were itchy." Gabriella shrugged, uncommitted.

"Maybe, who knows? It will go away once I get in the pool anyway." Troy watched as she continued to eat her breakfast, fighting the need to itch behind his knee. Just watching her made him want to scratch. Sighing, he turned back to his eggs.

* * *

Four hours later, Gabriella was pretty sure she wasn't having an allergic reaction to new body wash or that she had dry skin. For one, the lines of reddened blisters and bumps criss-crossing her arms and calves were not the typical reaction to scented body products. Groaning as she eased herself into clean sweat pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, she threw her damp hair up in a pony tail and shoved flipflops on her feet before leaving the pool area for the hour lunch break taking place across camp. Walking outside, she almost fell over Troy who was crouched outside, raking his fingers over the skin of his calf.

"Finally!" he told her, halting his actions and grabbing her arm. "I've been waiting for you for like fifteen minutes."

"I had to dry off and get dressed," she explained, letting him drag her down the path. "Can I ask where we're going and why you feel it necessary to make me come?"

"We are going to the first aid cabin," he informed her, "and there will be no arguments. I have watched Caleb scratch all morning on the baseball diamond and Hailey stop the soccer game every two minutes to scratch on the field; plus when the blisters appeared on my ankles after breakfast, I realized I wasn't just itchy from watching you. So now the four of us are going to the first aider to be treated for poison oak."

Gabriella groaned as she put together his diagnosis with the symptoms. The camp had dealt with cases of the rash all summer but none of the girls in Gabriella's cabin had come across it. She should have realized but it wasn't common in Albuquerque. Letting Troy push the door to the cabin open and shove her inside, she looked forlornly at Hailey's dark expression before taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"This is all Pete's fault," Caleb said, speaking up from his place against the wall where he was rubbing his hand. "Him and all those kids who we had to scrounge up in the woods on Wednesday night. Someone needs to find it behind the cabins and dig it up."

"I guess Anna was right when she talked about the creepy crawlies in the dark that we can't see," Hailey added just as a woman in her late twenties emerged from a door at the back.

"Alright, I already checked these two," she told Gabriella and Troy as she indicated the other two, "so I'll check you and then we'll go from there. Who's first?" Gabriella glared as Troy pushed her forward. Pushing up the sleeve of her t-shirt, she averted her eyes as the nurse examined the marks. A quick glance at Troy and she had confirmed it. "It's poison oak. I'll give you all some Benadryl and something to help with the itching. I'll also notify Pete to let you off duty for the weekend until it starts to clear up."

"What about our jobs?" Gabriella asked, pulling the sleeve back down.

"Not until the blisters start to dry up. The chlorine will make it worse if you're in the pool and I'm about to give you enough Benadryl to knock you out until supper," the nurse told them as she grabbed a handful of tablespoons to use as measurements.

Gabriella watched with wary eyes as she shook the bottle of syrup and then skilfully poured it onto the four waiting spoons. Two doses later and the four counsellors were headed back to their cabins. Gabriella dragged heavy feet up the steps and down the hall where she collapsed on her bed. Kicking of her shoes, she pulled her knees to her chest and dragged her pillow closer. The sound of loud voices and music from the pool area barely registered before her eyes closed.

* * *

Pete's voice droned on during Sunday's afternoon staff meeting. Ben's decision to plan a wiener and marshmallow roast after supper as the camp activity had the staff partaking in an early meeting while the campers enjoyed a free afternoon in their cabins. Gabriella spun her pen between her fingers in intricate patterns, recalling the early years in her life when her mother had registered her in majorettes, and fought to keep her eyes open. She and Benadryl were not an effective combination during the work hours.

Glancing across the table, she saw Hailey rubbing her leg absently under the table while yawning. Beside her, Caleb had his head resting on Jayme's shoulder and she would poke him each time she felt him get closer to sleep. Gabriella had given up trying to keep Troy awake several minutes ago and the only thing keeping his head from falling noisily onto the table surface was the hand propping it up. When her pen spun out of her fingers, Gabriella's attention snapped back to Pete.

"So that covers almost everything," the manager continued, completely aware that most of the staff was not following. "Shannon is the first aider for the week and she's cleared Troy, Caleb and Hailey to take their regular shifts tomorrow. Ella is cleared as long as she's not in the pool so that means Cheyenne and Ben are on pool duty all day until Wednesday while I find something useful for her to do."

"We're prepping for the Talent Show next Sunday," Kylie piped up, "She could help with that."

"Sounds good," Pete said, making notes. "Troy and Caleb could probably use some help too if they are going to be high on Benadryl all day so we can spread you around there." Gabriella nodded and went back to the pen twirling.

A few more items were discussed, including the kids participation for the talent show and next week's preparations for the overnight camping trip up the mountain. Gabriella made some notes in her notebook about various things, some work related and others not so much. One was a reminder to call Kelsi and see if she had any suggestions for the talent show. Hearing Pete end the meeting, Gabriella gathered her things and stood up from the bench. Looking over, she noticed Troy hadn't budged.

"Troy," she called, gently nudging his shoulder, "we're done."

"Go away," he murmured and Brett who was watching chuckled.

"Come on, Hotshot," she replied, "we're heading back to the cabins. We still have an hour left before supper. You can sleep on the grass."

"I'm itchy again," he mumbled incoherently as he stood and followed her out into the sun. Wincing at the harsh light, he slid his sunglasses into place and dragged his feet along the path.

Anna had beaten them all to the grassy area in front of the cabins and had raided her cabin's supply of extra blankets and pillows. Straightening the blankets out on the grass, she was tossing the pillows on top as the others arrived. Gabriella saw her grin and pull out the latest edition of Cosmo magazine Jayme had picked up last week on her afternoon off when she had accompanied Pete into the town for supplies.

Tossing her notebook and pen onto the grass along with Troy's, Gabriella flopped down on the ground as the others did the same. Hailey instantly claimed a pillow and sprawled out on her back, soaking in the sun. Jayme had Caleb's head in her lap as he gave in to the drowsiness of the medication to keep them from itching the drying welts on their skin. Gabriella concluded that Troy had never truly woken up back in the mess hall and had simply sleep walked his way down the path when she saw him asleep among the blankets, his hat pulled down over his eyes. Sighing, she adjusted her sunglasses and lay down beside him, using the exposed edge of the pillow to rest her head.

"Wow," she heard Cheyenne comment before giving into hazy sleep, "who knew drugs would make them all so docile."

* * *

After the bonfire and the Sunday activity that involved roasting things over an open flame until they caught on fire and were deemed edible, Troy dialled a familiar number. He was sitting on the grass outside his cabin at a distance that he hoped was far enough away from the open window to not wake his campers. Pulling up a few blades of grass and he waited for the other person to answer.

"Hoops, dude! How the heck are ya?" Chad's voice sounded amused but Troy didn't know if it was the excitement of hearing from him or something Troy was not aware of.

"Fine, dude. Just thought I would call and what was going on. Brie told me how you practiced with the U of A guys the other day," Troy replied, resting his head against the railing.

"Man, it was so sweet. You'll have to thank your dad for hooking us with them," Chad said before launching into every detail of the afternoon. Troy listened with his eyes half closed. Gazing around the area, he noticed Caleb and Jayme talking quietly on the steps in front of her cabin. A screen door nearby squeaked as someone closed it. Glancing to his left, Troy saw Gabriella lean over the railing of the front porch and fiddle with her phone before holding it to her ear.

"Things here are good," Troy said, answering Chad's question that followed his ramblings. Troy saw Gabriella look over and he waved. She smiled and continued her conversation. "A little crazy but entertaining."

"How are you and Gabs getting along? Neither of you have called to vent lately so that must mean you're doing okay."

"Or I killed her and hid the body," Troy pointed out. Chad laughed.

"She's on the phone with Kelsi," Chad told him. "Fulton has had us here for the last two hours going over all the preparations and lectures for the Star Dazzle show on Friday night. He fired three people last week and now he realizes he doesn't have enough staff. You should have seen it. Ryan and Sharpay offered to do the meet and greet thing so that Taylor and one of the lifeguards could help in the kitchen." Troy snorted at the idea. "We all thought Fulton would have a stroke. I think he thought it was a trick so they could fire him."

"Can you blame him?" Troy asked. "Last summer Sharpay wanted him gone so bad she tried to bribe Zeke to give her outdated yogurt for breakfast so she could claim food poisoning."

"Doesn't make him any less evil," Chad grumbled.

"You could have our boss," Troy pointed out, "he let the kids play flashlight tag and then we had to go find them all. In the woods. In the dark. Four of us got tangled in poison oak."

"Sounds like fun Mr. Woodsman. I'll stick with my cozy job where I serve Sharpay Evans iced water with only a quarter lemon wedge. Besides you're avoiding my original question about you and the Gabster staying alive."

"We're fine," Troy said, rolling his eyes. "Still alive." He hesitated before adding the detail Chad was looking for. "You may have been right about us needing to hash things out."

"Don't tell me you two went and…" Chad's voice trailed off. Troy rushed to refute the insinuation.

"God, no! We just talked. We're talking. Like friends. Just friends." Troy snuck a look next door where Gabriella was pacing the small area in front of her door.

"Well, when it happens, let me know. I have money riding on you two."

"You bet on us?" Troy cried and Gabriella's head shot up. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Who else is in on this?"

"Sharpay, Taylor, Zeke…Jason and Kelsi joined for fun but I don't think they are taking us seriously….Ryan thinks you've been at it for awhile and that's why you're always late to homeroom…." Chad laughed at the sputtering on the other end of the phone. "Even your dad made a comment the other day when we were in your backyard."

"My dad? Okay, we're ending this conversation. I am not going to listen to what my dad thinks about me and Brie. That's just wrong." Troy shook himself. "I have to go send my kids to bed. I'll talk to you about this another time."

"When you call to say I won?" Chad responded cheekily. He sobered up for a minute before Troy hung up on him. "Don't forget about Friday."

"I won't forget and if I need someone, I'll call. She'll be fine." Still annoyed over the whole bet thing, Troy hung up.

"Danforth pushing buttons?" Gabriella asked from her porch, leaning over the edge and toying with the phone in her hands. Troy hoped she hadn't heard the end of the conversation.

"They are betting on us," Troy informed her. "Did you know that? You're friends are placing bets on the supposed sexual tension lingering between us."

"Sharpay told me last week. According to Ryan we've been having multiple sordid encounters in the boys' locker room before homeroom for the last year. She called to make sure he was wrong." Gabriella shrugged and small smile tugged the corner of her mouth. "I find it amusing that our friends take this much time analyzing our relationship."

"I find it funny that despite all this chat about us, Chad and Taylor still dance around each other like they have the plague and Sharpay is oblivious to Zeke's crush," Troy replied, slightly annoyed. Gabriella laughed.

"Oh, she notices. Sharpay's all about the extravagant. She's waiting for him to make a move beyond baking her cookies," Gabriella told him. "Her theory is that if he really wants to ask her out, he'll do something that's only for her."

"Maybe someone should inform him of this," Troy said darkly, annoyed that her friend was so ready to abuse his friend's feelings.

"I did. He's still in the planning stages."

"Good to know." Troy suddenly remembered who she had been calling. "Why were you talking to Kelsi. Wasn't she doing rehearsals for the Star Dazzle?" Gabriella nodded and leaned further over the railing.

"I asked her to pick something for me to do in the talent show. All she has recorded are duets that Sharpay and Ryan have used to practice and choreograph off of." Troy noticed the smirk on her face and could feel that he knew where she was headed. Shaking his head vigorously, he knew he was right when she laughed. "Don't give me that look. You're doing it with me. Kylie already signed us up."

"But, I don't-," he groaned when she gave him a pointed look. "Fine, what did she pick."

"You remember Twinkle Towne? You should since Chad and you spent almost every free period or afternoon painting sets for detention. Anyway, Kelsi has a toned down version of one of the songs that she and Ryan recorded when she wrote it. She's emailing it as an mp3 to me so we can go over it." Gabriella bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look of horror on Troy's face.

"I thought we were done with the revenge tactics," he replied sourly.

"We are. This is staff involvement. Be glad Kelsi ignored Shar's suggestion of performing that song she wanted to sing last year for Star Dazzle….something about a pineapple?"

"We need new friends," Troy told her.

"I agree, but I would feel bad abandoning them. I mean, who else would want them?" Gabriella asked flippantly and Troy laughed. It wasn't often that they could tease each other like this and get away with it but it was becoming more frequent.

"I say we tell them that Ryan won the bet. See what happens from there." The easy atmosphere disappeared and Troy cursed himself for saying anything as the awkward moment stretched on.

"Well, I'm going to bed," Gabriella declared after a moment.

"Yeah. Me too." Troy waited for her to go inside before leaning against the wood of the building.

Friends. Just friends. Troy kept repeating the answer he had given Chad over and over to let the uncomfortable feeling leave his gut. Just friends. Having friendly chats. _Who occasionally joke about having sordid affairs in closets_, his mind whispered evilly. Groaning, he slipped inside, trying to focus on anything but those types of thoughts.


	8. Define Comfort

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Eight- Define Comfort**

_comfort (noun): __one that brings or provides reassurance._

* * *

Troy found the days running into one another as the week moved forward. The days were so packed with activities and projects that he rarely found time to think between rising with the sun and falling asleep after midnight. If he wasn't coaching basketball, he was helping Caleb on the baseball diamond or relying on his PE lessons of soccer. He wasn't alone in feeling worn out. Brett skipped breakfast on Tuesday morning just to gain an extra hour of sleep and Troy had caught Cheyenne napping in the pool office between shifts when the pool was calmer than usual. Gabriella, he thought to himself every time he saw her, was like the freaking energizer bunny who just wouldn't give in.

By Wednesday the welts from their brush with poisonous plants had dried up to resemble old bug bites and the itching had subsided, taking with it the permanent downiness induced by the Benadryl. Without the drugs in her system slowing her down, Troy had watched Gabriella take on double the work than anyone else. If she wasn't at the pool, she was helping Troy or Caleb with their groups and if he didn't find her at any of those places, she was most likely in the theatre sketching out the designs for the painting of sets. Pete and the others commented on her dedication but Troy knew there was more to it than that and for once he didn't feel the need to harp on her about it.

On Thursday night, Hailey found Troy sanding down wooden planks for the production behind the theatre. He wasn't sure how long she had been standing in the doorway of the back entrance, her hip keeping the door from locking her out, before he noticed her above the sound of the electric sander and the flying dust that clouded his vision. Pulling off the protective goggles and ceasing the motor in the tool, he swiped his hands along his jeans and looked up.

"What's up?" he asked, brushing the dust away from his work to feel the satin smooth finish.

"Do you need help?" she asked, leaning to prop a piece of wood between the door and the lock.

"Nah, I got this," he told her, running a thumb along an edge and noting that when she left he would have to redo that part. "It's almost dark anyway and Cheyenne will be sending the kids back from arts and crafts. Did Brie want help moving sets out here to dry or did you guys not finish?"

While Troy had been sanding, Gabriella and Kylie were directing the others in painting while they rigged lighting and pushed things around to allow room for Sunday's talent show without disrupting the work for the _Grease_ production. Troy had offered to help, since he had enough detention hours for cell phone use and basketball throwing in the classroom to make him an expert on the technical end of the drama department, but Kylie had been determined that someone finish the project he was now assigned.

"They're just finishing up. Ella has Ben and Brett on ladders hanging Christmas lights for Sunday." Hailey nibbled her lip for a moment as if she was reluctant to say something. "I actually wanted to ask you about something."

"Shoot," Troy told her, coiling the extension for the sander as he listened.

"I know you guys aren't super close but you would know better than anyone if something was bothering Gabriella, right?" she asked quietly. "She just seems really quiet the last few days."

"I know," he finally said after a few moments of hesitation, "but she's okay. She likes to talk about her friends and school but she's not big on the more detailed aspects of her personal life. She never has been. Maybe she's just homesick."

"But she would tell you if it was important?" Hailey asked and Troy realized she wasn't the only one concerned. The others had put her up to it.

"I think so. Or she would call her friends at home who would call me if they thought it was big." Troy handed her the extension cord and the sander. "It's probably her way of dealing with the lack of sleep we're all feeling."

"Maybe," Hailey murmured, slightly unsure with Troy's response but turning to head inside anyway. "Do you need someone to come help you with the table saw and the workbench?"

"When they get the chance. Can you send them with a broom, too?" Hailey nodded before taking her burdens inside while Troy stacked his finished boards in a pile before leaning them against the side of the building.

When Ben came to help, they struggled to get all the equipment through the door while Gabriella held it open. When the last of the tools were finally inside, along with the wood and the pile of wood dust had been raked into the grass or cleaned up, Troy let the door slam behind him. Inside the rest of the counsellors had cleaned up their work areas and Troy could finally see the work Gabriella had been doing during her shifts as the pencil markings were replaced by paints. Helping to the haul the remainder of the paint cans to the storage area, he hung back to catch Gabriella alone.

"You okay?" he asked, searching her eyes before she lowered them to study the ground.

"Yeah," she responded. "Just tired."

Troy knew it was code for 'you know what's wrong but you know I want you to leave it alone' so he let it go and just nodded at her answer. Leaning over her head he hit the light switch and let her lead the way out of the room, through the theatre and out into the cooling night to collect their campers for bed.

* * *

Friday morning Troy reached the track later than his usual time and saw that most of the counsellors were already started on their workouts. Caleb and Brett were keeping an even pace together as they ate up the track on the other side from Troy. Jayme was stretching but from the way she continuously shoved her hair from her sweaty face, he knew she was already done. Cheyenne was a few metres away and when she saw him she slowed, skipped a step, and came to a stop with her breath barely altered.

"You're late," she said with a smile, tapping her watch and she grabbed a drink from her water bottle. "Sleep in?"

"Phone call from home," he told her absently, searching for the missing runner. "Has Brie already been here?"

"Yeah. Caleb said she was finishing when he got here. I don't think she ever sleeps." Troy just nodded at the girl's answer, weighing whether to complete his laps or find Gabriella.

Sighing, he dropped his water bottle and shed his sweater. She wouldn't talk to him at her cabin while her campers were around and the last thing Troy wanted was to get her mad at him first thing in the morning. Remembering the conversation he had had that morning with Taylor, Troy decided he would wait for breakfast and assess the situation. For the first time in weeks, he wished they were both in Albuquerque where someone else would know better than him what to say to her. Doing a few quick stretches, Troy launched into his usual workout for the morning.

* * *

Gabriella had hoped that if she kept busy enough and continued to let Pete abuse her willingness to multitask to the breaking point, that the last day of July would pass her by without any sort of acknowledgement. It had been a stupid hope and one that made her feel an enormous knot of guilt each time she thought it. Any other year, she would make sure she was on shift at Lava Springs all day, bribing Javier to give her a double if it was necessary, and spending it among her friends who would make sure they did nothing but distract her with useless gossip and menial tasks if they found her mind wandering_. It does no good to dwell on what ifs_, her mother used to say in a strong voice whenever their neighbours or friends would ask how they were doing during that first year, and Gabriella made it her motto. It didn't help that while she made sure she was always at Lava Springs, her mother always scheduled out of town business conferences for herself.

This year was different and while Gabriella hated to admit that to herself, she realized too late that it was the truth. She was by herself, far from home, with strangers who didn't know her. Troy's name hovered at the back of her mind and no doubt Taylor had gone into mothering mode and sent him thirty text reminders to baby-sit her, but Gabriella didn't want him to do it out of obligation. If they had been closer in the past than maybe she would expect him to be there but they weren't and she knew that dealing with other people's emotions was not a task Troy Bolton enjoyed. The only message she got from her mother had been two days before to relay the hotel information for the conference in Seattle. Gabriella didn't know if the details were scarce because a call could be expected or if Maria Montez was simply ensuring her daughter didn't have a meltdown while she was absent. Either way, it was an unwanted reminder of the date.

After sending her girls to breakfast on their own, with strict instructions to get their butts to the theatre on time for their first activity, Gabriella had pulled on her sneakers and made her way to the canoe docks by the lake. Water had always made her feel calm and at peace, which Sharpay always tactlessly pointed out was ridiculous considering Albuquerque didn't offer a ready supply of it wherever you turned. Seated in the middle of the dock, feeling her weight rocking it back and forth, she closed her eyes and tried to calm the brewing storm inside her that threatened to overwhelm her tight grip on control.

For Gabriella, it didn't matter what went on inside, her exterior had to give no hint to an inner struggle. It was how she got through finals each year and how she dealt with Mr. Fulton each summer. It was how she kept herself from saying regrettably snarky comments to Sharpay and how she kept Taylor from freaking out over any mark below a 90 percent. Control was how she kept Troy Bolton from getting to her over the years. For today, on the anniversary of her father's death, the control was to make sure no one saw her fall apart.

* * *

Troy hadn't been surprised to get a phone call at 7am from Taylor McKessie on the anniversary of Mr. Montez's death. If the twenty-nine texts from her over the last week wasn't an indicator, the prior three years at Lava Springs was. Every year Taylor would make sure Gabriella's water aerobics classes were filled to the max and that every child at the club attended swimming lessons. Her lunch hours were always occupied by Zeke who, if he got desperate, would make her help him prepare meals for the members. If anyone noticed her wandering or looking lost, they would recruit Sharpay to drag her off to the spa salon to help choose highlight colors or send her to Kelsi and Ryan to appraise their musical talents. Desperate times called for desperate measures and last year, when Javier refused to give her a double shift for the third day in row, Taylor had pawned her off on Chad and Troy to teach her how to golf on their break. It was the one time all summer that Troy made an effort to get along with her and he had wondered how she felt with her friends playing psychologist with her emotions.

Troy didn't do other people's emotional dramas. It was why he and Chad got along so well because Chad always said what was on his mind without veiling his thoughts. It was why Sharpay Evans drove him crazy because despite his grudging admission that she was good to her friends, she played other people like violins to get what she wanted. It was why Troy could never understand Gabriella until this summer because every other time she was in his vicinity, she locked her emotions in a box until the right comment had her flying off the handle. He didn't want to have that happen on this day of all days, but if he was right in his suspicions, she was avoiding people for a reason.

When he walked into the mess hall with his campers for breakfast, the first thing he noticed was that Gabriella's campers were already there. The second thing was that she was not. Sighing, he sent his campers to the line, asked Hailey to watch them, and then headed back outside to find Gabriella. Going through the list of possibilities in his head, he ran a hand through his hair as he thought about where he could find her.

_If I didn't want Troy to find me for a whole hour or more, where would I go?_ He asked himself sardonically, letting his gaze roam over the camp buildings. It settled on the path worn between the gym and the theatre that led to the lake. Tucking his keys inside the neck of his t-shirt, he took off at a light jog towards the water. Through the woods, avoiding any dips that he had found earlier in the summer by running the trails, he slowed when the trees thinned and the rocky beach surrounded the jutting dock. She was sitting at the end, a foot from the edge, with her face pressed to her bent knees.

Hesitating for a moment, he rejected the idea of calling her name only for her to tell him to go away. When the first foot stepped onto the wooden extension, he saw her stiffen and wait. It made his decision for him and he walked the rest of the way without halting, sitting behind her and pulling her into the space between his own raised knees. Wrapping his arms around his legs to grip her shins, he remained silent as her silent tears shook her shoulders. He looked out over the water where dark feathered ducks bobbed in water, the ripples from the dock spreading until it reached them. Troy wasn't sure how long they sat there with the only sound being Gabriella's uneven gasps of breath but she brought him back from his own thoughts when she leaned back against his chest and wrapped a small hand around his knee.

"How did you know?" she asked in a thick voice, a hiccup interrupting her question. There was a slight pause before he answered.

"Taylor. Chad. Every summer since that first one," he answered honestly. "I've been waiting for you to crack all week and I knew it was coming when I saw you last night."

"Do you remember it?" she whispered and he nodded against her hair.

"Yeah." His voice was hushed, like a child who feels compelled to tell an adult someone's secret but knows they shouldn't. "I do."

He did. It had been Chad's eleventh birthday and the Danforth's had offered up their new pool for the party. Gabriella and her mother had been there, the gate in the fence that separated the two homes thrown open to allow more space for the guests. Troy and his parents had been present, along with Jason Cross who was the new kid from the next street. Kelsi Nielsen had shown up, tagging along with her brother who was friends with Chad but one grade ahead of them in school. There were others but Troy would be hard pressed to name them all. The fact of Gabriella's question was that her dad wasn't there.

"He was in Santa Monica to close a deal and mom was so mad because he was supposed to come the night before and the car rental company had mixed up the reservations," Gabriella told Troy, her voice never reaching above a whisper "My grandmother was coming to visit for two weeks and mom didn't want to deal with her without my dad. I remember them yelling on the phone the night he called to tell us it would be another couple of days." Troy hadn't known that part and a part of him wanted to congratulate himself on getting her to trust him. "I was upset because my parents had a rule that someone had to go with me in the pool and mom never liked to. I thought I wouldn't get to go to the party."

"My dad went in with you," Troy remembered, and he missed the small smile that graced her face with pleasure that he did actually remember and wasn't just saying it to console her.

"Yeah," she said softly. It hung in the air for a few moments before she sighed. "I remember being in Chad's tree-house with Kelsi while you guys threw water balloons around and looking over to my house to see the police car show up and the officers walk through the garden hedge to reach the door."

Troy knew what happened after that. Charlie Danforth, Chad's dad, had noticed and went out front to investigate. The wives and mothers had been helping Mrs. Danforth in the kitchen as she cut the cake and Mr. Danforth had brought the officers to his home so that they wouldn't tell Gabriella's mother while she was alone. Troy and Chad had barged in while they were explaining what had happened and they younger boys didn't understand at first why Lucille Bolton yelled at them to get out of the kitchen and go back outside. All they could put together before Lucille locked them out of the house were words like 'asleep' and 'accident' and 'impact'.

"I was still in the tree-house when your mom came to get me," Gabriella recalled, breaking through Troy's trance. "I knew she had been crying and you and Chad were looking at me funny and I knew something was wrong."

Mr. Montez had been speeding, Troy remembered. Somehow he had tracked down a car through another agency after the phonecall home and decided to surprise his family. He didn't tell his wife that he was leaving that Saturday night and would try and make it home for the party on Sunday afternoon. Instead, he had driven all night and into the next morning before falling asleep at the wheel an hour outside of Albuquerque, crossing the center line and slamming into a tractor-trailer. He had died on impact and it had taken hours to track down his family and deliver the news. Troy had watched as his and Chad's parents tried to get Gabriella inside to break the news.

"Chad's older brother had to get you down. You kept screaming and refused to let go of the ladder." Troy wished he could see her face but he settled for placing his hands over hers. She gripped them until her fingertips turned white. "You slept at Chad's that night and _I _was mad because it was supposed to be me but my dad made me go home with him. My mom stayed and I kept asking why until Dad explained it when we reached the house."

"I kept apologizing because I thought it was my fault his birthday was ruined. We never got to have cake and I thought he would hate me." Gabriella sucked in a shaky breath as the tears rolled down her cheeks, trying to regulate her inhales and her exhales to the rhythm of Troy's hand rubbing her back.

"He never hated you. I think we were all in shock. I mean, we were kids and your dad was always around when he was home. It hit all of us in some way," Troy told her. "I think it's one of the reasons I try to get along with my dad so well. Even if we argue, we never let it get out of hand. That summer made us all grow up."

"I never realized how much it affected you," she said quietly, running her finger over his championship ring. "I knew how Chad felt and Kelsi, but Jason was new and I didn't know him; I never thought it meant that much to you."

"He used to come next door when we were on Chad's basketball court. You would be doing something girly or off at Taylor's and Kelsi's, so he would come play with us. I didn't need Taylor or Chad to remind me what today was." Troy shifted on the hard wooden planks. "You should have told me where you were going this morning. You know the drill about the trails."

"I knew Taylor would harass you into feeling like the obligated babysitter," she explained. "I didn't think you would be so good at finding me."

"You love water. Back home, in the summers, I would always see you sitting by the pool after it was closed. I would be on my way back from the course and you would just be sitting there, watching your own reflection, while you waited for everyone else to finish," Troy said in a low voice. "The lake was the best guess I had. And I don't feel like a babysitter."

"Every year I go through the motions for Taylor's sake because she puts so much effort into making sure I'm happy," Gabriella told him with a smile, "but I never noticed until this week and today how much it worked. I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought was no one here will care."

"Well then," Troy said in a brighter voice, leaning down so his chin rested on her shoulder, "today I will be Taylor." She laughed at the audacity of the statement and he grinned. "I will make sure that at no point today will you be by yourself or left to wallow in homesickness. You are with me for basketball this morning anyway, and then the kids have that wondrous hike planned and executed by Pete who is leaving us behind and taking the local rangers with them as a tracking activity."

"I'm supposed to paint sets," Gabriella started but he shushed her.

"Nope, too much opportunity for you to think. We're repeating last year." Gabriella lifted her head and looked sceptical.

"Troy, last summer you tried to teach me to golf." He nodded. "Troy, I hit one of the caddies. And Sharpay's dad. The only other person at the club who was worse than me was Derby Evans."

"We'll use the field. I brought clubs." His chin was set when he looked at her, daring for an objection. She bowed her head and gave in. "Great. We still have some time before our shifts start. Do you want breakfast?"

"Can we just sit here for a little while?" she asked, gazing across the water and pulling his arms tighter to her sides.

"Sure."

The ducks had moved on and in their place were dragonflies buzzing from one water lily to another, occasionally landing for seconds before taking flight again. As he watched, Troy realized something. On any other day, friendship or not, he would have gleefully pointed them out to hear Gabriella shriek; but not this time. Probing his thought deeper, he subconsciously tightened the arm around her waist as he concluded that it wasn't because he was being nice or comforting or sympathetic.

It was because he didn't want her to move from where she was.

* * *

Gabriella was exhausted. Every inch of her body hurt and she had blisters on her hands where Troy's golf glove had done little to protect her hands from the club's grip. He had refused to let her sit longer than five seconds all day, having her run drills with him during the basketball activities and in between the arrival of the campers during each rotation. At lunch he made sure the conversation not only included her but he made certain she met his required quota of sentences per minute. The campers had left after lunch for the guided hike with the park rangers and the counsellors had revelled in an afternoon of free but productive time. Troy declared it Golf Time With The Pro and he had spent all afternoon coaching Gabriella in the proper swing, aim and wacking of the tiny white ball.

Sighing, she leaned back and closed her eyes, listening to the soft conversation the counsellors were sharing on the grass outside their cabins as they waited for the kids inside the cabins to fall asleep. The solid object behind her shifted with her weight and she felt Troy's hands resume their constant movement along her shoulders. Her hand rested on his knee as she listened to him and Caleb discussing the new mall being built in Albuquerque. This was, she recalled, the second time they had been in this position in the same day. And it wasn't weird, she realized, as Troy's hands slipped from her shoulders to the back of her neck.

Their morning on the dock had been the most natural thing she had ever felt in relation to Troy. It wasn't forced or awkward or hesitant. It had just happened without thinking or analyzing. She rarely spoke of her father's death out loud. Not even with her mother. With Troy, it had slipped off her tongue without a thought, and while she wasn't sure what to do with that type of acknowledgement of trust, she knew it was something she wanted. The entire day had shown her a side of Troy Bolton that she was had known existed but had never seen for herself. She shivered when he whispered in her ear.

"You still okay?" he asked quietly. The others heard him but they pretended otherwise, diverting their eyes from what was an obvious intimate moment they couldn't understand.

"Yeah," she assured him, resting her head against his chest as his hands ceased their movement and wrapped around her instead.

"Good," he replied, turning back to Caleb without noticing that she had fallen asleep.

* * *

Troy shoved his free hand in his pocket to retrieve the buzzing, vibrating cell phone. Shifting Gabriella, who had fallen asleep during the last ten minutes, he registered the number before answering his phone.

"Hey, Taylor," he said quietly.

"How is she?" the girl on the other end of the phone asked. Troy heard the hesitancy and concern in her voice.

"She's fine."

"Really? Like the oxford definition of 'fine' or her version?" Taylor sounded sceptical.

"Fine as in we dealt with the tears this morning and moved on. We played golf. I wore her out." Troy heard voices in the background and knew that it was still dinner hours at home. "She was going to call but now she's asleep and I don't want to wake her up."

"Oh. No, that's fine. Chad's just busy with the tables still working through the dessert course so he asked if I could call before the show starts," Taylor gave out some orders and Troy heard someone yell that the curtain was going up.

"I forgot the show was tonight. You should get back to work before Sharpay asks where her audience is. Make sure you get a video for us," Troy told her.

"Definitely. Chad is saying he will call tomorrow. He's making stabbing motions with a fork so I'm going to say goodbye."

"Night," Troy told her before hanging up. He caught Caleb watching him as he shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"Star Dazzle Night?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah."

"Bet you're glad you're here," Caleb replied. When Troy didn't answer besides a shrug, Caleb turned back to Jayme who was doing a quiz in her newest magazine.

Troy didn't have an answer for him. Despite his failed attempts to avoid the Star Dazzle show each year, he missed his friends and their summer routine. On the other hand, he told himself as he looked down to see Gabriella murmur something quietly in her sleep, if they were at home things would have stayed the same between them. After spending all day with her, Troy was slowly admitting to himself that he liked the change. In some way, part of him was saying they had needed the change.

* * *

AN: So I was slightly hesitant to post this chapter as it is. First, because every time I read it I find one more typo so I'm afraid you guys will find more. Second, because I am hoping it provides what I need it to. So let me know what you think and hopefully we're on the same page.

~Van


	9. Define Discovery

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Nine - Define Discovery**

_discovery (noun): a productive insight._

* * *

Gabriella had performed many times in front of an audience. Perhaps not a large one, since it usually consisted of Kelsi, Sharpay and Ryan, but an audience nonetheless. Troy, she knew, was no stranger to crowds or the pressures of performing either. East High was well known for its support of student activities and it was deemed social suicide to miss a basketball game unless you were dying or in detention with Miss Darbus, so Gabriella was aware of how many people could fill the gym and watch only Troy Bolton, waiting for him to shine and dazzle the court or screw up and lose everything. This knowledge, combined with her own ability to confront people from the stage, made it difficult to understand her current problem.

"Troy, it's like three lines. You'll survive doing them on your own," Gabriella pointed out, letting the mic fall away from her lips and turning to face him. "You start and I jump in. It's not hard."

"Why can't you start? You've done this before," he told her, twirling the microphone in his hand and running his free hand through his hair.

"Because it will screw up the melody later on. I don't know why you're so set against this. You'd swear I was making you do jazz squares and tap dance in circles." Sighing, she picked up the remote for the CD player and hit the play button to reset the music. "Let's try it again."

They had been rehearsing for the talent show since supper had finished in the mess hall. The other campers and counsellors were in the gym watching a movie, but Gabriella had dragged Troy to the theatre to do a quick run through of the lyrics. Quick had been the operative word at the time, but after an hour, it had taken on a new meaning. The song Kelsi had sent them was the audition piece from Twinkel Towne, a song that Gabriella was familiar with and Troy recognized enough to pick it up quickly. She found the lyrics slightly eerie when considered against her and Troy's relationship, and she had a suspicion that Kelsi's inkling to match people to her music had come through when she had sent the recording to Gabriella. _What I've Been Looking For_ had been destroyed by Ryan and Sharpay during the show, although Gabriella would never say that, but the version Kelsi had sent was slower and more harmonic. Troy was butchering it with his nerves.

"Okay, stop," Gabriella cried after they made it as far as the introduction to the chorus. "How is it that you stood up here on Karaoke night and did perfectly without practice and this time around you're stuttering like you have never heard your own voice?"

"That was different. No one expected me to be any good. It was a joke. Your idea of payback." Troy rubbed his face with his hands. "All everyone's been saying this week is how they want to hear us."

"I need you to relax," Gabriella told him. "I don't do this very often and you are starting to fray my own nerves. Just think of it like basketball. Everyone is watching you then, and they all expect you to be awesome."

"Don't I know it," Troy muttered before taking a step and telling her to start the music again.

"Just relax," she repeated.

They made it through the next few verses until Troy forgot the words to the final lines and threw his hands up in the air. Gabriella lowered her mic as she watched him pace circles on the stage, breathing in and out, while rubbing the stem of the microphone with his thumb. She watched as he mouthed the words to the song. He really could sing, she just wished he could hear himself. Taking a step towards the CD player, she reset the continuous play to start from the beginning.

"Last time," she promised, taking her spot on stage.

"What? We so don't have this yet," he insisted, standing next to her. She shrugged and turned to pause the music.

"Singing is about feeling the lyrics. You know the words but you're so wrapped up in anxiety that you aren't taking the time to get into the rhythm and the emotion," Gabriella explained. "It's like basketball or track or baseball. You find a beat and you make it fit you're stride. If you relax and find something in the music, you'll realize you don't need to think about it."

"And you've found the hidden message?" he asked sarcastically, not understanding how the perfectionist in her was ready to call it quits and just 'wing it' for the show. A small smile tugged the corner of her lips.

"It's us," she told him. "I link the music to us. Listen. Don't sing, just listen." She hit the right button and the piano melody floated out of the speakers. Ryan and Kelsi's voices filled the air and Troy sighed and did what she told him.

'_It's hard to believe that I couldn't see you were always there beside me'_ Ryan's voice melded with Kelsi's and Gabriella saw Troy's eyes tightened at the implication it had for them. As the song continued, he looked at Gabriella with suspicion.

"I have a feeling she put a little effort into choosing a song," she confessed. "But I didn't really consider it until this morning when I uploaded it to my ipod. You can make it mean whatever you want, but just let it sink in. Ready?"

"No," he admitted, taking a seat on a prop stool.

"Is this because you're a jock?" she asked, ignoring the glare of resentment he sent her. "That came out wrong." Troy snorted and Gabriella sighed, sitting on the floor and leaning on her elbows. "Are you worried about what they will think of your singing or of what they will think of you in general?"

"I don't want to do this. Let's just run the song." He reached out to hit the button but she stopped him.

"No. Tell me."

"Why does it matter to you?" he asked harshly.

"The same reason you found me at the dock yesterday," she shot back, "Because I care. Now tell me."

"This is new, okay? I don't do this. I play basketball. I'm good at basketball. I play golf. I occasionally try baseball. I do not sing or act or dance," he said, sliding off the stool to sit beside her. She remained silent. "You used to ask why I always put people in boxes, or why I never try something new? Because, even if I wanted to, I don't have the time. I can't be you, Brie, running in five different directions and doing everything except sleep." He paused, and glanced at her quickly, seeing patience on her face. "I used to draw," he told her and she looked surprised, not because she hadn't expected it but because he had used the past tense.

"And you don't anymore?"

"Not when people can see me. I took a class in our freshmen year and the teacher encouraged me to submit a piece for a contest. I won first place. Mom framed it and hung it on the wall. The next thing I know, the teacher is critiquing everything I draw, everything I paint, and harping on me to try to win another prize. It lost its appeal." Gabriella nodded in understanding.

"The scholastic decathlon is like that for me. I do it because Taylor needed a co-captain and it looks good on college applications, but I'm tired of it. I got tired of math tests and IQ tests showing up in the mailbox. There is more to me than my ability to do math," she told him. "Just like singing is proof that there is more to you than basketball. You don't have to be good at it, or join the drama club or declare it your new dream, but you are allowed to enjoy it."

"What makes you think I enjoy it?" he asked, wondering how she could be so blunt about something he was struggling to admit.

"Because you don't even notice when you do it. Yeah, today, I'm forcing it out of you, but when I see you running the track or tidying the equipment closet or practicing free-throws, you sing like it's the most natural response for you. That tells me that you like it." She stood and dusted off her jeans.

"So this isn't about you proving to yourself that the jock has substance?" he asked cautiously.

"No. This is so that I don't have to stand up here by myself," she quipped. Turning, she looked at him with a more serious expression. "I know you have substance. Otherwise, you wouldn't frustrate me to no end." Hitting the button, she handed him his mic. "Last time."

They managed to get all the way through. Troy missed the cue once and Gabriella missed a few notes because she was too busy watching Troy's dance steps that signalled he had taken what she said into consideration. Experimenting with the last few lines of the song, she glanced over to see Troy grinning as he finished with her. Bowing to the fake audience, he offered her a high five.

Flicking off the lights as they exited the building and went off to find their campers, Gabriella couldn't help but admit that the depths to Troy Bolton continuously surprised her despite thinking she knew what to expect from him. Not for the first time did Gabriella feel humbled by having her assumptions squashed.

* * *

Staring into the glare of the spotlight, Troy tried to remember Gabriella's words from the night before. _Relax_, he kept telling himself. He was troy Bolton. He stood on platforms and yelled cheers into the crowds. He was being sought by the U of A Redhawks. He scored an average of thirty points a game. He could stand on a stage and sing in front of a bunch of kids who would never see him after this summer. This was doable, yet the stem of the microphone was slick and sticky in his palm.

Gabriella was standing beside him, casually dressed in jeans and a tank top. She had shed his sweatshirt when they had called their names for the next act and Troy saw her shiver slightly in anticipation or cold, he didn't know. As an afterthought, just before the first bars of the song sounded in the air, he realized that he found it completely normal for her to be wearing his sweater. He didn't have a chance to dwell on it as his cue arrived and he sang the first few shaky bars before Gabriella joined in.

He had no idea how he made it through the whole song without losing the melody or forgetting the words because his mind kept thinking back to her question from the day before. Was he really that worried about what other people would think? No, he replied to his traitorous conscience. It may be a factor but not a big enough one to mean what he had led her to believe last night. No, he repeated, he was worried about what she thought. That was new. Caring about Gabriella Montez' opinion as he would Chad's or Zeke's. He had known he was in trouble when she pointed out the implications of the lyrics. She was right; the song could easily have been written for them.

"Good job," Gabriella screamed over the applause as she gave him a high five when the music died down. "I told you that you would do great."

"You too," he replied, slightly absent because he was still in a daze that it was over.

He had survived. Feeling the tension roll away, he handed his mic over to the next person and followed Gabriella off the stage. Grabbing her hand when they reached the empty area behind the curtain, he pulled her close so he didn't have to yell. She looked surprised but let him tug her to the wall. Looking up, Troy saw something flash in her eyes but pushed it away as he lipped his lips and swallowed.

"I, uh, wanted to thank you," he told her, stumbling over the words as they were drowned out by the music on stage. "For what you said last night. Thank you."

"Anytime," she said softly, smiling. "You did great."

Watching her walk away, Troy ran two hands through his hair and leaned against the wall backstage. He had found himself happy to in an easy friendship with Gabriella. It was natural and fun and effortless most of the time. She had so many sides to her that Troy felt like he would never understand them all. But he wanted to. God, he wanted to more than any other person he knew, get to know what made her smile and laugh and tick. He never knew how much of a difference he would feel in being the one who made her smile instead of the one who made her furious. The trouble was coming from the part of him that repeatedly told him that Gabriella was not the same as his other friends.

And that he didn't want her to be.

* * *

If Gabriella had known how hectic camp activities were going to get, she would have spent more time savouring the relaxed atmosphere of Sunday evening instead of trying to sort through all the thoughts raging through her head. It seemed that opposite of what she had thought, becoming friends with Troy did nothing but heighten the amount of time she thought about him. Instead of pushing him from her mind like she would have before camp began, Gabriella found herself repeatedly searching him out during free time or contemplating how many of her assumptions he had obliterated in their latest conversation. After the talent show, and the vulnerability he had allowed her to see, Gabriella resented the fact that Pete had them all too busy for her to even begin to dissect what Troy's admission had meant.

On Monday, Gabriella and the counsellors were hauled into a staff for three hours to cover the details of the camping trip. When Saturday morning came, the camp staff and campers would hike the trail up the mountain and set up camp where the counsellors had found their flashlights weeks ago during staff orientation. The rest of the day would be spent doing their own cooking, another hike and some nature activities organized by Brett and Kylie. Everyone would spend the night outdoors and then after lunch on Sunday, they would tear down tents and then hike back to the main camp before supper. Gabriella made notes as Pete explained that the kids would put up their tents and make their own meals with minimal help. Each cabin would have their own tent but the counsellors would share a tent and allow the campers some independence and experience of being on their own. Gabriella felt the urge to slap herself when the first thought that entered her head would be that Troy would be sleeping with her.

"So, you're okay with handling that, Ella?" Pete's voice cut through Gabriella's self-scolding and she jerked her head up from her notebook.

"Uh, yeah. Sure," she said, hoping she sounded convincing. In actuality, Gabriella had no idea what she had agreed to. Hopefully, someone would inform her later. Casting her eyes down, she pretended to write something while Pete watched her critically. There was a second and then he moved on to someone else.

"You just agreed to inspect all the kids' backpacks when they pack," Anna informed her in a hushed whisper while Pete delegated another job to Ben.

"Seriously?" Gabriella asked, glancing to her left to see Anna nod. "Crap!"

"Problems, Ella?" Pete asked with a smirk.

"No. Of course not." Mentally kicking herself, Gabriella went back to absently doodling in her notebook as she tried to pay attention.

* * *

Troy enjoyed his personal space. When rival basketball players invaded it on the court, it acted as a natural trigger for aggression. When the girls he dated began suggesting which clothes to wear to school or that perhaps he spent too much time with Chad and the guys, he broke it off. When his campers went through his bags to find the keys to the basketball courts, Troy wasn't upset about the mess as much as he was that they had picked the lock to his bedroom door first. So when he told Pete he would help Hailey and Brett double check that all the tents and their accessories were intact, he was horrified to discover that personal space had not been taken into account.

"He expects ten of us to sleep in that?" Troy exclaimed, pointing to the large, black and yellow tent. "That's not doable," he protested as Brett laughed.

"Dude, we do it every year. I promise we will all fit." He looked up from where he was counting out the number of required ground pegs and added a few extras in case one got bent.

"Well, yeah, but we'll be like sardines. Or an orgy or something. Not cool, man, not cool." Troy shook his head as he inspected the inside.

"Chill, Mr. Claustrophobic Time-Bomb. It will be fine. Jaime and Caleb will pretty much take up the space of one person although if I hear one inappropriate sound, I will be sleeping in between them. Brett and Kylie have done this before. Gabriella is pretty much a stick and if that wasn't enough, she'll probably be freezing and crawl into your sleeping bag anyway," Hailey pointed out, so nonchalant about the whole observation that she missed the protests coming from Troy until she looked up from the ground. "Don't give me that. She sleeps on you whenever the possibility arises, she's cold all the time and I wouldn't be surprised if she has ice running through her veins, and you and her have this thing lately where body contact seems to be the equivalent of a drug addiction."

"Psht," Troy finally got out, "we're so not like that." Hailey rolled her eyes.

"Fine. She can snuggle with Brett or Ben for body heat." Hailey smirked at the flinching muscle in Troy's jaw as his eyes darkened.

"If she wants," Troy bit out, grinding his teeth as he picked up a pole and thrust it into the tent his campers had been designated. "She's free to do what she wants."

Maybe personal space wasn't so important, he thought. Thinking of what Hailey had said about Brett and Ben, he clenched his jaw tighter. He seriously needed to stop letting his thoughts drift to Gabriella.

* * *

On Wednesday, Gabriella was wishing she was the only person going on the camping trip. In some peoples' opinion, namely Anna and her ability to cut through the crap and tell things like they were, Gabriella was wishing she could run away but she looked at it like a vacation away from campers who didn't understand the concept of 'overnight'. Looking around her cabin at the avalanche of clothing, footwear, pillows and sleeping bags, Gabriella sunk to ground with a groan and asked God why he had to put Troy Bolton in her head during a staff meeting that resulted in this idea of heinous torture.

"Because he's gorgeous and makes you want to fall on your knees and beg him to take you in those amazing arms and never let you go." Looking towards the open door, Gabriella was surprised to find that God looked and sounded exactly like Hailey.

"I was asking God, not you. I'm sure he has some deeper answer than that, especially when it's not true," Gabriella added as an afterthought. She leaned down to pick up the pile of clothes by Isabel's bed that had been rejected during the packing process, hoping to hide the flush on her cheeks.

"Sure," Hailey scoffed, leaning down to grab blankets that needed to be folded. "Both of you are so full of denial it could flood the banks of Egypt."

"It's not denial," Gabriella insisted, chucking Isabel's clothes into an open pink suitcase before moving on to Delia's pile of soccer shorts and jerseys. "We're friends. Good friends compared to where we were at the beginning of summer, but that's it."

"Look, I'm not Anna, trying to play matchmaker with everyone at camp," Hailey replied, referring to the other girl's attempts to match Cheyenne and Brett. "And it's obvious to all of us that you guys have gotten over whatever was between you and become good friends while you're at it. I'm just making an observation and you were the one who admitted to being distracted by him."

"It's not like that. We talked on Saturday and he said some things that I keep wondering about. Plus the meeting was boring," Gabriella said, moving on to another unmade bed and another pile of clothes. Hailey gave her a smile.

"When you guys are together, how do you feel," Hailey asked, sitting on the edge of one of the beds.

"You mean like weak in the knees, stuttering, melting into a puddle of goo feelings?" Gabriella questioned, rolling a sleeping bag and tossing it towards the pile of camping gear by the front door. Hailey nodded and Gabriella paused, biting her lip. "I don't feel any of that. It's not denial, it's the truth. When we talk, it's easy and natural. I don't feel uncomfortable or self conscious; it's just me and him. The same as me and Chad or me and Taylor."

"Are there things you tell him that you don't tell anyone else? Do your friends know about him dragging you in out of the rain or the fact that you fell asleep in his arms last Friday night?" Gabriella's wide eyes were Hailey's answer. "Do they know that he has this completely different side that comes out on stage?"

"What are you saying?" Gabriella whispered, gazing down at the teddy bear clutched in her hand that she meant to pack in Elena's backpack for the trip.

"What I'm saying is that if you're friends, that's fantastic, but if you're more than that you owe it to yourselves and each other to at least admit the truth and go from there." Hailey stood from the bed, watching as Gabriella turned the stuffed animal over in her hands as if the answer was written somewhere on its worn fur. "Now that I have imparted enough wisdom for the day, let's sort through this mess because my cabin looks about the same."

"I thought they were supposed to pack and I was supposed to inspect," Gabriella grumbled, pulling a pair of hiking boots out from under Alex's bed.

"Yeah, well, that's what you get for daydreaming about blue-eyed boys," Hailey responded.

Gabriella kept her mouth shut, failing to point out that blue was really not a strong enough word to describe Troy's eyes. Then she caught herself and focused on why she only had five sleeping bags instead of six.

* * *

Beside Troy, leaning against his shopping cart like he had just ran the Olympic hundred metre dash, Ben groaned and let his head flop forward. Sighing at the theatrics, Troy glanced over the list in his hand and directed both their carts down the cereal aisle in Maplevine's only grocery store with eight aisles. Grabbing three different kinds and multiple boxes of each, he tossed then into Ben's cart and continued towards the bread section.

"Why did we agree to this?" Ben whined for the thirteenth time and Troy stiffened in annoyance.

"Because we could help Pete shop for food or we could teach kids about peeing in the woods. We are smart guys who chose the less embarrassing one," Troy explained, drawing out the syllables to make sure Ben could follow.

"Oh, right," Ben remembered, "plus you're avoiding Ella."

"I am not avoiding her. We had a minor mishap yesterday and we are giving each other space." The excuse sounded rehearsed even to Troy.

"A mishap where you walked in on her naked," Ben added, pushing his cart ahead of Troy as they grabbed juice from the shelf.

"Not naked," Troy hissed, glancing around furtively before continuing, "Just not fully clothed."

In fact, she had been in her underwear and a sports bra, tugging on shorts when he entered her cabin to ask if she knew where his Wildcats track jacket was. She had shrieked and slammed the bedroom door before he even got a chance to process the scene. After stammering and stumbling around until he saw the jacket lying over the couch in the front room, Troy left without a word.

"Sure," Ben drawled, "And you can't stop thinking about it."

"Yes, I can," Troy insisted, going down the list and mentally ticking off what they had gathered. "We need marshmallows and granola bars." Swinging his cart down the next aisle, he read the list as Ben grabbed the stuff. Troy glanced up and saw a bag of coloured marshmallows fly into the cart.

"Do we want big marshmallows or little ones?"

"Brie likes the big ones," came Troy's automatic reply and Ben smirked.

Stuffing the list in his pocket, they headed towards the cashout. Smiling politely at the pretty small-town girl manning the cash register, Troy began placing all their items on the conveyor belt. When she winked at him as Ben chatted her up, Troy's only thought was that Gabriella had the same necklace as the cashier. She frowned when Troy didn't respond to her flirtation and when Ben elbowed him on the way out of the store, he had no idea why.

* * *

Friday's supper was a rushed affair. The campers were literally bouncing in their seats as returning kids tried to scare the newcomers with outrageous tales of mountain lions, bears and moose. Gabriella doubted there were moose in the woods surrounding Maplevine but she was too tired to scold. Stabbing her fork into a chicken nugget and swirling it around in the sweet'n'sour sauce, she savoured the taste of properly cooked food. Troy had done the grocery shopping and assured her that anything beyond hotdogs and spaghetti would not be on the menu for the next two days.

"You all packed?" Anna asked wearily, pushing her plate away and laying her head on the table.

"Yeah. Except I can't find my ipod," Gabriella told her, picking up a few fries and dipping them in ketchup. "Or my East High baseball cap."

"They're in my cabin," Troy told her. "I borrowed your hat the other day when mine was wet from the water balloons and you lent me your ipod when the battery in mine died."

"Oh, right. I'll grab them when we're done."

"Do you know where my sweatshirt from the championship game last year is? I had it at the pool." Troy jammed more fries into his mouth and reached in front of Kylie for the ketchup.

"Ella's wearing it," Caleb pointed out and Jayme laughed at Troy's exasperated expression.

"What? You left it and I was cold. I figured I would give it back to you tonight," Gabriella said, defending herself.

"You need to pack more than one sweatshirt for tomorrow night," Troy told her, mildly irritated that he had spent all afternoon searching for his clothing and never noticed that she had had it on the whole time.

"Not if she can just crawl into your-," Hailey was effectively shut up by Brett's hand across her mouth as Troy glared.

Gabriella raised a suspicious eyebrow as she shrugged out of the sweatshirt and handed it across the table. Pushing away her plate, she reached for the bowl of melting ice cream that was designated as dessert. Three bites later, a shiver wriggled its way up her spine. She didn't even bother to look up when the sweatshirt came flying across the table to hit her on the head. Beside her, Anna tried not to laugh as she pulled it on, noticing it was still warm.

* * *

Troy sighed and hid his eyes behind his aviators as Saturday's morning sun peaked over the top of the mountain and blinded him. Morning dew still graced the grass and he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head to ward off the chill that came in the mountains despite it being early August. Glancing around, he mentally counted all six of his campers and all their gear times six. Everyone was dressed and sunscreened. All their gear was packed and buckled. He carried their tent and their allotment of snacks although he knew that Pete and the first aider had hiked up earlier that morning to store the majority of the food in the trees. Moving his eyes past his group, he counted Gabriella's girls while she buckled their tent to her backpack.

"You need help?" he asked, setting down his load and approaching her.

"I think I got it," she told him, letting him help her slide the shoulder straps in place and settle it on her back. "This isn't going to take forty-seven minutes is it?"

"No. Not with nature kid and pink princess and the bickering twins over there," he answered, motioning to Ben's attempts to separate the two siblings in his cabin. "Plus we've got an extra fifteen pounds of crap."

"If we were in Albuquerque, we wouldn't need all this crap. It would be warm and we could skip the sleeping bags and blankets and tents," she grumbled, waiting for Brett to give the signal that they could start the hike.

"So you would rather sleep on dirt?" Troy asked, shrugging on his own pack.

"Point taken," she admitted, double counting her girls.

Hearing Brett tell them it was time, Troy let the kids run ahead and fell into step beside Gabriella. It was quiet and the only sounds aside from the campers were the birds and the rushing sound of the river down the mountain to the west. Knowing that weather forecasted perfect sun and minimal chance of rain, Troy found himself grinning like a lunatic.

"What has you so chipper this morning?" Gabriella broke the silence, sending him a cheeky smile.

"Nothing. Just that this weekend will be a change from the daily routine," he responded, pushing aside a branch.

"Or it could be that he's excited for tonight," Hailey butted in, pushing past them too fast for Gabriella to see the look Troy shot the other girl.

"Because of the stars. Brett planned an astronomy lesson. It should be cool," he tacked on, hoping it didn't sound too rushed or jumbled.

"Yeah, that will be cool," Gabriella noted, pulling her hat brim down as they brushed past a fallen tree.

She missed how Troy's body relaxed at her acceptance of the cover up or how Hailey turned around to roll her eyes at him and caught the glare he was sending. Watching her take the lead in front of him up the trails, Troy tried to stop replaying Hailey's words in his head. He failed however and her words became simultaneously linked to the picture in his head of Gabriella getting dressed when he walked in. Sighing, he sped up further to catch her. With her, he knew, there would be no awkward conversation or inappropriate comments regarding sleeping arragements.

* * *

_AN: Ugh so this chapter was really hard to get out. I think it's because the next few are already written in my head and I just want to jump ahead and can't. Anyway, let me know what you think. The reviews from the last few chapters were awesome and really appreciated so keep it up. Thanks,_

_~Van_


	10. Define Limit

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Ten- Define Limit**

_limit (noun): as far as something or someone can go._

* * *

When Gabriella's steps brought her to the edge of the familiar clearing, she took four steps to the right, out of everyone else's way, and collapsed on the ground. Unused to the extra weight strapped to her back, the ungraceful control of herself caused her to tumble over backwards. Troy's laughter was identifiable as she closed her eyes and refused to move. When a shadow crossed the brightness in her vision, she forced her eyes open to look.

"You plan to get up and help or stay down there and grow grass?" Troy asked, his eyes lit with mischief.

"Staying here," she mumbled, wiggling from the discomfort her backpack and gear was causing to her shoulder blades.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure that's an actual option, Brie," Troy responded, leaning down and gripping her hand in his. "Up you go." Yanking her off the ground, he tried to hide his grin as she wobbled slightly on the spot. "We've got a tent to put up and another two to supervise. Let's go."

"For the record," she told him, walking as far as the pile of counsellor gear at the edge of the clearing and dumping her stuff on top of the heap, "I'm tired."

"Consider the record to be reflective of that fact," he quipped as his gear followed hers after unstrapping both their tents.

It took an hour for all of the campers to get the tents for each cabin up and pegged to the ground. Another thirty minutes were assigned to pitching the counsellors' tent and the one to be used by Pete, Shannon the first aider, and two accompanying park rangers in case of an emergency. Another hour passed before a slightly agitated and grumpy Gabriella shoved a crisply charred grilled cheese sandwich into Troy's hand while he traced the mapped route for the afternoon hike.

"You got it figured out?" she asked, sitting down with her own sandwich as she watched Caleb and Ben sort through the pile of sleeping gear to decipher what went in which tent. "The kids are wondering when you're leaving."

"I figure it will be two hours up and less than that on the way back down. I talked to Brett and the view from the peak is magnificent although I doubt the effects of it will be lost on the kids," Troy told her ruefully, removing his cap with a hand and running his fingers through his hair before resettling it on his head. "In which case, I've been told they may see deer."

"Well, you will just have to take a picture for me," Gabriella said as she stood and picked up both of their dishes.

"You're not coming?" Troy asked, disappointment on his face and she shook her head. "I thought you'd want to see the view." Gabriella gave him an odd look. Was that pleading?

"Troy, it's just a hike. I told Kylie and Jayme that I would stay behind and get dinner going so it would be ready and-," She trailed off and looked away. "You really want me to climb a mountain and see some deer?" she asked sceptically.

"Not if you don't want to," he responded, slightly bitter and wincing when he saw that she noticed. "I just thought it would be cool. Like that time we all hiked to the lake when Chad's dad took us camping and you insisted on forging ahead until we found water even though Chad insisted you were way off course." He gave her a smile as he retraced the route on the map. She sighed, remembering the summer a few years ago. She and Troy had bickered the whole way even though it was Chad who kept saying she was wrong.

"Give me a minute," she told him, leaving the spot to find the girls.

Approaching Kylie and Jayme, Gabriella decided against explaining Troy's request that she go and instead told them that they needed an extra person. Anna, overhearing, gladly begged to be left behind and nurse the blisters on her feet. Laughing, Gabriella grabbed her bag and tossed in a snack, water bottle and a sweatshirt before throwing it over her shoulder and joining the group ready for the hike. She smiled at the grin on Troy's face and for once, refused to argue with herself or feel guilty about the happy feeling she got knowing she had agreed to his request.

* * *

Troy wasn't sure why he had wanted Gabriella to go with the hiking group so much. It was true what he had said about the camping trip and hunt for the lake, but it didn't seem like a big enough reason to plead with her to abandon supper duty and go with him. The talk was light and joking on the way up the hill, mainly at Gabriella and Cheyenne's expense as they lagged further and further behind and had to be cajoled and baited into speeding up their pace. Troy felt guilty for convincing Gabriella to come as she drifted further and further back in the group until she was surrounded by the younger kids who were barely placing one foot in front of the other. Although he didn't regret getting her to come, he hoped the view from the top was as worthwhile as Brett kept saying.

It was.

When scrappy, scrubby pine trees gave way to sturdier, leafier trunks of oak, Brett announced that they were getting close. It wasn't a gradual clearing like the one by the camp site or around the lake at Maplevine. It was sudden and abrupt, forcing the entire group onto the ledge of the peak while around them stretched higher elevations and below, spread out in panorama was the valley with the twisting sliver of river running between the ridges. The sun was low, casting golden rays and black shadows in haphazard patterns across the view, glimmering against the water or catching the leaves on their glossy sides. Troy wished he had a better camera than the one on his cell phone.

He stood still, even as the campers and counsellors pushed past to see what had captured his attention, but his eyes never left the unfolding scene before him. He heard a tiny gasp and turned as the last of the stragglers reached him and Gabriella looked up from her sneakers to take in the sight. Troy's eyes roamed her face as she fixated on what was behind him, and he felt his smile grow knowing she would have kicked herself for staying behind if he hadn't brought her.

"I told you," he said quietly, feeling that anything louder would disrupt the perfection.

"My God," was all she could manage, stepping around him with a quick glance at his face and then walking to edge. She set her bag down as she went, pulling her camera out of her jacket pocket and adjusting the dials to suit. "It's indescribable."

Troy watched as she snapped pictures from different angles, remembering some small detail about her participation with the year book committee and the school paper, while he let his gaze slide along the tree tops and down into the valleys and canyons that spread for miles past the direction of Maplevine. He wondered if he could draw it from memory and then realized that it would never be the same anyway.

"Thank you," Gabriella told him, walking back from the edge as she slid the camera into a pocket on her backpack. "It's perfect."

Troy nodded and leaned against a tree while the group rested and admired the scenery. When it was time to head back, he gathered his gear and herded the campers back down the trail. The way down was faster and more easily navigated, with the campers rushing ahead of the counsellors at the mention food. Troy couldn't get the image of Gabriella's smile out of his head as he entered the camp clearing again that day. Searching for her, he had to grin at how fast she tore the camera from its place and rushed to show those who had stayed behind. Despite the noise and the chaos as the campers got ready for supper, Troy could hear the conversation taking place by the pots of boiling spaghetti noodles being manned by Jayme.

"I'm so glad Troy convinced me to go. It was the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen," Gabriella gushed and Troy caught the look she sent him across the open space.

His smile grew and he whistled as he helped Ben set out the dishes for the meal. At some point, making Gabriella smile had become his new goal and at a different point, Troy realized that her smile was often infectious.

* * *

Gabriella didn't remember falling asleep. She remembered spooning out ladlefuls of tomato sauce and passing around three containers of parmesan cheese. She remembered silencing complaints about the slightly burnt state of the garlic bread and the lack of variety in the drink selection. She remembered sending ten extremely wet campers to get changed after they overturned two of the basins being used for the dishes. She remembered finishing the dishes herself while Anna dried and Troy stacked. After that had come two hours of cheesy campfire songs, roasting marshmallows and hotdogs, and making sure that no one caught themselves or their friends on fire. Brett's astronomy lesson had been cool given the perfectly clear night sky, but Gabriella had been confused about why Troy had missed it to help set up the kids sleeping bags when he had apparently been interested during the hike up.

When the flames had finally died down, Gabriella remembered following her campers to their tent and holding a flashlight while they hurried into pyjamas before the chill had their teeth chattering. A quick trip to the outhouse located at the back of the camp and a five second brush of their teeth and Gabriella recalled them soundlessly collapsing into their sleeping bags inside the tent as she zipped the flap closed and returned to the campfire. She had felt so exhausted that she couldn't recall snuggling up next to Jayme as they shared a blanket while the last of the campers fell asleep and she didn't remember that Troy had gently shaken her awake less than an hour later and coaxed her into walking to their tent, getting undressed while the guys stood outside, and then into her sleeping bag with Hailey's help.

Just after midnight she woke, slightly disoriented, and freezing. Burrowing deeper into the flannel and goose down folds over her heavy duty sleeping bag and extra blankets, she tugged the hood of her sweater over her head and tried to ignore the bone deep shivers that travelled down her spine and caused her to violently vibrate in her cocoon. Taking another shot at gaining more heat, she tried to wiggle as far from the door of the tent as possible before she hit rock solid objects that registered as people. Giving up, she curled into a ball and tried to fall asleep.

* * *

Troy was one of those guys that slept like the dead. The kind of guy who didn't bother to use an alarm clock because he would sleep through it anyway. The kind of guy who could sleep through Miss Darbus' homeroom lecture every morning and gain a few extra moments of rest in the process. Waking in the middle of the night, his immediate thought about what could have awakened him was whether he needed to take a leak. Contemplating that for a moment, his response to himself was no. He also knew that the blowing wind outside was not enough to wake him, and it couldn't have been anything overly loud because no one else was awake except for the obnoxious person twisting and turning in their nylon covered sleeping bag.

Sitting up and pulling the zipper of his sweater higher, Troy tried to squint through the blackness of the tent to locate the sound. The swishing and rustling of the fabric was becoming increasingly irritating to his sleep deprived brain and he ground his teeth as the sound continued. Opting not to turn on his flashlight, he called out softly to the squirmy sleeper.

"Go to fucking sleep," he hissed and the sound stopped for a moment before resuming. He sighed. "It's after midnight and we have to be up at seven. Cut it out." He frowned when something bumped against his leg and beside him, Ben muttered in his sleep and rolled over.

"Freakin' dark" grumbled a familiar voice and Troy rolled his eyes and scrubbed his face with his hands.

"Brie, what are you doing?" He had expected her to sleep through until morning given how soundly she had passed out at the campfire and how much effort it had taken to get her into the tent and tucked in. There had been a brief argument with Caleb over the sleeping arrangements when he saw that those who had laid out the gear in the afternoon had placed Gabriella at the foot of the door to the tent because she was the smallest and the space was cramped. Hearing her twist and turn again, Troy knew he and Hailey had been right about it being a stupid and unkind idea. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just cold," she murmured, her voiced muffled and Troy tried to push past the darkness and find her among the black shadows. "Why am I by the fucking door?"

"Because Brenner is an idiot," Troy responded, knowing she had hit her limit by the amount of profanity escaping her mouth unchecked. "Can you find me without a light?"

"I dunno," she stammered, "Why?" Troy ignored her question as he reached down and tried to figure out where she was in relation to the foot she had bumped. Groping along the edge of a foreign sleeping bag, he heard her sit up. "What are you doing?"

"Getting you away from the door. I need you to slide out of your bag and come up this way. You can fit between me and Ben." He leaned down and unzipped his own bag to allow him to help as he heard her stumble and fall over obstacles until he could make out her silhouette. "Hand me the bag," he instructed and he laid it out in the narrow space beside him. Pulling it open, he straightened out the blanket acting as a liner and pulled her down. "Here, get in."

She obeyed without a word and once Troy knew she was in, he pulled the zipper up as high as it would go and then did his own. He could see that her hood was up as she burrowed into the warmth, lodging herself up against his side. Scooting closer so that she was against Ben's back, Troy pulled the extra blanket he had discarded earlier over both of them to cover the exposed arm he curled around her shaking figure. By the time he dosed off again, Gabriella had stopped shaking and managed to mould herself to the curve of his own cocooned body.

* * *

She didn't want to wake up. The burning heat that surrounded her and pressed against her cheek felt like heaven to Gabriella and she pushed herself closer to the source. Around her the others were beginning to awaken as the rattle of dishes and gear outside the tent broke through foggy sleep and stiff muscles. Trying to tell herself that it was too early to be conscious, she kept her eyes closed and tried to hang on to the last moments of slumber before the horribly hushed whispers of her friends ripped that possibility away.

"Hailes, you're supposed to count the campers. I'm sure there are no missing counsellors," Jayme chuckled softly, her voice perfectly clear to Gabriella.

"Where's Ella?" Hailey asked quietly and Gabriella heard a zipper come undone. "Is she up already?"

"She's over here," someone grumbled and part of Gabriella's heat source disappeared as Ben shifted position. "I have no idea how that happened."

"Well, she's jammed under Bolton's arm far enough that she may as well just be in the sleeping bag with him," Caleb observed and Gabriella faintly comprehended what he meant before focusing on Hailey's undignified snort.

"That's because she was fucking freezing last night," growled a voice ridiculously close to Gabriella's ear and she stiffened for a moment before the person beside her shifted and she wedged herself closer. "I'm with Hailey; I swear she has ice for blood," Troy added.

"I do not," she responded from beneath the layers and she felt the person beside her laugh.

"Whatever you say," Troy told her. "Time to get up," he told her, poking her side through the sleeping bag and causing her to groan and curl into a tighter ball.

Too late, Gabriella realized that without Troy, the heat quickly dissipated as he abandoned his bed and stepped outside to hit the outhouse and find his clothes. Without the warmth pressing against her, she groaned in annoyance and pulled herself from her covers. Rubbing her hands against her face, she pulled up the hood that had slipped off and wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to adjust to the temperature drop.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty, get dressed and you can have coffee." Gabriella looked towards the unzipped flap of the tent to see Troy toss her backpack at her.

Before he left, she caught a quick glance of him already dressed. Sighing, she ignored the amused looks of the girls remaining in the tent as she dug through her bag and pulled out the pants to her East High track suit and matching sweatshirt that she pulled on over a white tank top. Shoving the clothes she had slept in back into her bag, she grabbed a pair of socks and then rummaged around the outside of the tent to find her sneakers. Leaving the laces undone, she finally emerged from the tent and wrestled her hair into a messy bun as she approached the benches surrounding the fire pit.

Her appearance interrupted the discussion taking place between Hailey and Troy. Gabriella tried to ignore the probability of what Hailey had mentioned based on the look of frustration on Troy's face and the smirk on Hailey's. She looked immensely pleased with herself but Gabriella decided not to comment on it as she dropped onto the bench and accepted the mug that Troy thrust into her hands before turning back to the line of campers holding out bowls for cereal like they were Oliver Twist at the orphanage. Wrapping her hands around the hot ceramic, Gabriella tried to channel the heat through the rest of her body.

"Sleep well?" Hailey's sudden arrival beside her caused Gabriella to jump. "Your Troy Boy got awfully anxious when I asked who initiated last night's game of musical sleeping bags."

"Don't call him that," Gabriella replied. The only person who ever referred to Troy as 'Troy Boy' was Sharpay Evans and Hailey's addition of the possessive indication in front of it was too much for 7am. "And I would have agreed to sleep with a grizzly bear last night if it meant escaping hypothermia. He just happened to be the one to wake up and offer to help." She took another sip of her drink and kept her eyes downcast as she remembered how it felt to be in his arms. The warmth had come from more than body heat and Gabriella had no energy or patience with herself to argue against it anymore.

"He was pretty pissed when he realized Caleb had laid out your sleeping bag in front of the door. I knew you'd freeze but it was Troy who kept arguing with him until Pete told us to shut up and go to bed." Hailey swirled the coffee grains at the bottom of her cup before looking at Gabriella. "You know he's pretty protective of you. Friends or more, he seems like the kind of guy to keep close."

"I know," Gabriella told her a few seconds later, staring into her mug, "It's just taken me awhile to realize that." Hailey nodded and let her spot to refill the kettle heating on the propane burner.

Watching her fill her mug and stop to talk to Brett and Anna who were seated at the only picnic table in the clearing, Gabriella let her eyes wander back to Troy as he shovelled cereal into his mouth. His eyes met hers and he shook the box at her, asking silently if she wanted some. Shaking her head, she saw him turn back to his food and she didn't notice the faint smile grace her lips as she watched him. She knew what she said to Hailey was true –that they were friends- but letting her eyes graze across his face with the slight shadow of not shaving in two days, Gabriella admitted that the feelings she was feeling for Troy were not the same as the ones she felt for Chad or Ryan. Not sure of what that meant, she dumped the remains of her coffee on the ground and returned to her tent to roll up her sleeping bag and properly pack up her gear.

* * *

Troy watched from across the campsite as Gabriella nursed her coffee. Directing his gaze back to the line of kids in front of him, he continued to dispense Cheerios and Shreddies into waiting bowls as he thought. He couldn't be angry at Hailey for gloating, no matter how annoying it had gotten, since her predictions had come true. He also knew she was teasing and that her comments were not an attempt to force him into admitting something that wasn't already there; they were just candid observations that were uncomfortably accurate. There was something between him and Gabriella, he was tired of denying it any longer, but what that something actually meant was unknown to Troy.

There was friendship, close friendship in the days since understanding the complications between them, but somehow Troy had moved past friendship and into some gray area that only included Gabriella. He had dated before, brief though those relationships may have been, but none of those feelings or situations seemed to apply to Gabriella. So what the hell does that make her? The question had been repeating itself all morning, since Troy had awaken to find her curled into his side and his arm had automatically brought her closer into the protection of his body. If she didn't fall into the category that included a handful of girls from his past, and she didn't fit into the box that included Chad, where did she fit? The corny voice in his head reminded him of how she felt in his arms on numerous occasions and Troy fought the urge to deny that voice and instead seriously considered it. Maybe the voice had a point.

"Who has a point?" Troy jumped at Jayme's voice. Feeling slightly uneasy that he had spoken out loud, he set down his bowl of cereal and faced her.

"Nothing," he told her with a shrug, feeling her eyes sweep over him once before flashing a quick smile.

"Don't let Hailey get to you. She just enjoys having everyone around her happy." The girl picked up a clean bowl from the makeshift table and filled it with Cheerios before adding milk. "Plus she enjoys how flustered you get."

"She's harmless," Troy responded, seeing Gabriella leave her spot by the fire and duck inside their tent.

"Completely. Just don't let what she says about you and Ella weigh on your brain. You guys have your own thing and you shouldn't be over here talking to yourself about Hailey's opinion on the matter." Jayme rummaged in a bag until she found a spoon and began walking away as she took a bite. "Go at your own pace. Every relationship grows, but it doesn't mean it grows in the same direction. Last night, you showed that you care; if that's all it was, you don't have to feel guilty about it."

"Thanks," he told her, staring into the remaining puddle of milk in his bowl.

He didn't look up as she left to join Caleb at the only picnic table in the clearing. Replaying her words, he realized that Jayme had subtly let him know that she wasn't in on the match-making fever that was plaguing the female staff. The problem, he concluded, was that her words didn't make him any less uncertain. Jerking his head towards the tent where Gabriella was laughing as she helped Brett take apart the poles holding it up, Troy understood why Jayme's words had sounded so hollow despite her honesty. The night before had been about more than showing he cared. It had been about making sure he was the one to protect her. No one else; just Troy.

Dammit, Troy thought, letting his gaze slide to find Hailey on the far side of camp, maybe she was right.

* * *

They were almost back to the main camp when Gabriella left her spot in the line between Anna and Cheyenne and moved so she was walking beside Troy. The trip back had begun more than an hour and a half ago and the other girls had been discussing nothing else besides the latest movies that they were missing by working miles away from any theatre. After listening politely to their complaints whines, Gabriella excused herself and escaped to Troy and Brett.

"Save me," she ordered them, settling into step on Troy's left while Brett moved over to accommodate her on the path. "I can't take anymore talk about the hottest summer flicks and how the girls at school will apparently quiz me on which main character was played by the hottest guy ever." Troy laughed and Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Only two more weeks, Brie, and then we'll be back in civilization, listening to our friends whine about Fulton and their jobs and how we were the lucky ones," Troy assured her as she grumbled.

"Ugh, don't remind me. That means three weeks until school starts and I could do without that."

"Come on, now. We'll be seniors. That means a free period plus study hall. That means assigned parking spots and lots assemblies and guidance appointments all organized under the so-called assumption that we need them to prepare for the future. Embrace the status," Troy declared, slinging an arm around shoulder and laughing.

"That also means track and field practice and your dad hounding me to try-out for the girls' basketball team. Miss Darbus will make me stage manager again and Sharpay's understudy while trying to convince me to try out for another part as well. Chad will beg me to tutor him in math because he's too shy to ask Taylor even though that's what he wants to do and Taylor will win in her fight to name me yearbook editor and class treasurer." Gabriella glared when Brett laughed at her pessimistic view.

"I thought you were the drama club treasurer?" Troy asked.

"I am," she confirmed, "And I am president of the prom committee and Taylor asked me to chair the charity ball for Christmas and-," Troy cut her off by clamping a hand over her mouth.

"We are going to have to work on your inability to say no or this year will kill you," he pointed out, taking his arm away and taking her hand instead. "We're going to start with the prom committee. Now, what you need to do is find some recruits so that you can delegate the work. Cheerleaders love that stuff and prom planning is mostly after basketball and baseball season so they should be available. Talk to them. Secondly, the charity ball is easy as a chair. You tell Taylor that you will come up with the idea if she can find people to put it together. Do you have an idea?"

"Yes, but-," Gabriella was getting annoyed of being interrupted.

"Great, now the drama thing will take some willpower but I think you should tell Miss Darbus to shove the understudy and the stage manager bit and try out for the lead," Troy continued.

"I am not playing Maria opposite Ryan Evans," she insisted, "I would spend the entire time trying not to laugh at his attempts to portray a bad boy."

"Well, then, our final thing on this list is to find someone to replace Ryan Evans. What about Marcus Baits? He always gets stuck with the understudy bit and he looks dangerous."

"You want me to kiss Marcus Baits?" Gabriella asked, knowing that Marcus was also a third string linebacker for the football team.

"Erm, no. I'll have to rethink Ryan's replacement. The point is to say no. Let's practice. Brie, would like to carry this propane burner?" Troy asked sweetly.

"No?" she answered timidly.

"With dedication, Brie. With conviction. As if the devil is asking for your soul and you are facing eternal damnation. Now, Brie, would you like to carry this heavy burner?" he repeated and Brett let go a bark of laughter at their antics.

"No."

"Louder."

"No."

"Add some foot stomping," Troy suggested and she hit him across the chest."I'm helping."

"You did help. Actually, you made some good points. Remember, when Chad asks, you have to stick to the truth and tell him it was your idea," she said cockily, letting her gaze slide up his face and then back to the front.

"What was?" He was suspicious now. Something about the way she was eyeing him like she knew he was going to argue.

"Well, as you pointed out, the cheerleaders will be available after basketball season, so I may as well recruit the basketball team," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh, no, I didn't say that. I said-," Troy stopped and stamped his foot, "No!"

"Keep practicing and hopefully you'll be successful at winning the argument against Sharpay about making the theme colours pink." Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at the look of horror on his face.

"But, I-," he couldn't get the words out as he stuttered.

It was no good because Gabriella had taken off as the camp came into view. Knowing Troy was still trying to spit out his protests against any involvement, she wove through the campers and rounded up her cabin. Leading them all down the path to unload their gear before supper, Gabriella ran through all the ideas that Troy had inspired. Thinking about the charity ball, she made a note and left it on her desk as she waited for the girls to use the bathroom. She would call Taylor later and ask for her to email the guidelines on school charity functions. She wondered if auctioning off students would be considered against school policy if it was for a good cause. Of course the students involved would have to agree to their participation, but Gabriella was sure she could convince Troy to help. Or go on the auction block himself. Gabriella may have a problem with saying no, but she also had a problem accepting it as an answer. She would wear him down.

* * *

_AN: So Im glad this chapter was so anticipated. I realize the sleeping thing was forseeable but hopefully it accomplished what I wanted it to and you got your dose of happy feelings inside. Keep up the reviews and those of you who are so dedicated at following along, I apreciate the recognition._

_~Van_


	11. Define Connection

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Eleven- Define Connection**

_connection (noun): the act of bringing two things or people into contact for the purpose of being together._

* * *

When Troy walked into the mess hall on Wednesday afternoon, he paused and looked around, making sure that he was in fact in the right place. Glancing back towards the table where Gabriella had numerous folders and papers surrounding her, he grabbed his plate of bacon and toast from the line and followed Ben and Anna to their table. Sliding into the spot across from Gabriella, he noticed that her breakfast was barely touched. Instead, her forehead was wrinkled in concentration as her eyes shifted from the paper in her hand to the folder in front of her. Looking up from her work, she reached beside her and handed a piece of paper to Troy.

"What is this?" he asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes when he saw his name and student number typed out at the top, followed by all the completed classes he had taken at East High over the years. At the bottom were the classes he had registered for in May before school let out. "Why do you have my school schedule?"

"Because Principal Matsuiadded an arts component for all seniors this year and Taylor is in charge of making sure everyone chooses one before the first day of school. She sent me both of our schedules and the list of possibilities." Gabriella handed him another piece of paper for him to read. Shoving his food away, he focused on what she had just said. "And before you ask, it has to be taken this year. No exceptions. It's taking the place of study hall or an elective."

"So I have to pick one of these?" he asked, gesturing to the list that included drama, TV and video production, musical theory, vocal class or choreography. "I have no background in any of these."

"They're all beginner classes," she assured him. "Taylor sent me the class schedules so if you know which class you want to drop, I can tell you what's taking place at that time or you can tell me which one you want and I will tell you if you can drop the class in that block."

"This sucks. The guys and I all picked classes together so we would know each others' schedules." He looked up when Gabriella held up a folder. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Taylor is ticked about the whole thing so she sent me the schedules of everyone at Lava Springs since they picked all of theirs last week. Now, who would you like to see?" Troy grinned madly at the amused smirk on her face.

"You are amazing," he insisted, glancing back at his schedule. "Just tell me what everyone else is taking." She shrugged and took back his schedule.

"Okay, Jason is doing TV and video production with some chick he met at the country club," she began and Troy shook his head. "Alright, Ryan is doing choreography with Martha Cox," she continued and Troy shook his head again. He had read the description and the class included every type of dance under the sun. Not happening. "There's drama with Sharpay and Taylor who will probably kill each other before the end of the first class, but you can't do it anyway because it's during your free period practice and it would mean another period of Darbus since we both have her for homeroom."

"Only us?" he asked.

"No, all of us do. There are only three senior homerooms and one is for the French kids and the other is for those taking Spanish. Anyway, that leaves you with the option of musical theory with Kelsi or the vocal class with me and Chad. Zeke gets exempted because he's doing the culinary class." She looked up and waited for him to answer. "Which one do you want?"

"What do I give up if I do the vocal class with you?" he asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. She scanned his schedule and then the master copy.

"P.E," she told him and he groaned, "But you can do what I did and have them move you to the P.E. class during study hall and give up study hall." She handed the schedule back and looked over another folder.

"Is that what you guys did?" She nodded. "Well, then, I'll do that. What else do we have together?" She motioned for him to hand back his timetable and after a few quick moments of writing notes, she gave it back.

Troy scanned the paper slowly. She had written who was in each class beside each block. He shared English and advanced math with Chad, Kelsi and Ryan. Gabriella was in his chemistry and physics class which made him relax a bit. Chad, Jason, Zeke and Gabriella were in his P. E class and they all shared homeroom and economics. Seeing one block with nothing beside it, he looked up.

"What's your free period?" he asked, noticing that there was nothing written beside that particular block on his schedule.

"Same as yours but you'll be in the gym and I'll be on the track," she said absently.

"What else is in this pile of stuff?" He gestured to the three other folders on the table. He regretted the question when he saw the smile on her face. "Maybe I don't want to know."

"No, I'll tell you." She picked up a red folder embossed with a wildcat. "This is the proposed budget for Prom committee and the fundraisers that Matsui has approved for us to run through the year." She set it aside and picked up a blue folder. "This has the schedules for every extra-curricular activity being run by East High. Did you know that you're opening the season at home against West High?" she asked cheekily and both Troy and Caleb lunged for the folder.

"Why are all the girls' basketball games starred?" Troy asked, pointing to the sloppy symbols and something that looked like his dad's handwriting.

"You're dad is pointing out that none of the track meets or scholastic decathlons are on the same days as the basketball games. I told you he wouldn't give up." She picked up the last folder that was green.

"He knows how good you are," Troy told her, eyeing the final folder and the excited look that signalled trouble. "What's that one for."

"Charity Ball guidelines. I asked Taylor to email them to me so I could finalize my proposal that has to be in next week. Do you want to know what it is?" He reached for the folder but she held it back. "We're having an auction."

"Brie, that's boring. No student will buy things at an auction and it's supposed to be a student event," he pointed out, but her smile only got bigger. He knew he was in trouble now.

"It depends on what we're auctioning," she stated, lazily leafing through the folder.

"Fine. I'll bite. What are we going to auction off?"

"Dates to the ball," she declared and everyone at the table stopped in their conversations and turned to look at her.

"Damn, girl, you are brilliant," Hailey told her, pulling the folder towards her and glancing over the proposal. She laughed when she saw the details. "Oh, Troy, you're in for it now."

"You're going to let students bid on other students so they can buy their dates to the ball? Do you realize what that means? It's going to be a free for all. Every girl at school is going to want-," he trailed off as the implication of his sentence hit him full force. "You're going to auction me off?! Gabriella!"

"Not just you. Chad, Zeke and Jason already agreed. So did Ryan. I got some responses from the football team and Taylor is sending out emails. Sharpay promised to buy someone and some of the cheerleaders are willing to do it. It will be fun. One night, no strings attached." Troy tried to ignore the pleading in her eyes as he fought to settle his discomfort at the thought that she was willing to sell him to someone else.

"How do I get out of it? Anything. Please don't make me do it," he begged and Brett laughed at the scene. Gabriella looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Be my MC. You run the evening and I'll take your name off the list," she told him.

"Done." He caught the smirk and his heart jumped.

"That's what you wanted! You little-," he settled on glaring at her ability to predict his actions.

"You think I didn't realize the chaos that would erupt from putting you on that stage? I would have girls pulling each other's hair out. But if you MC, people will take it seriously." He sighed when he realized she had really thought it out. "Plus, I need to make sure you don't let me be bought by some creeper like Jeremy Holtz."

"Buy you? Oh, hell no, not happening. You're not going on that list," he told her, folding his arms across his chest and shaking his head. "No."

Despite the animosity they showed each other at school during the previous years, Troy was not blind to the effect Gabriella had on the male population. Not only was she gorgeous and beautiful, she knew almost everyone in their class and even some from the lower classes. She was competitive and intelligent and she had connections in almost every circle and clique. If it was a known fact that the girls would go crazy over buying Troy as their date, he knew that Gabriella would incite the same reaction from the opposite gender. She of course would be oblivious to that possibility, knowing how she thought.

"We can argue about this later, will you just sign here saying that you agree to participate? I need to fax it to Taylor." She slid the paper and a pen across the table and Troy grudgingly scrawled his signature across the noted line. "Thanks."

Gathering up her things, including Troy's decision on the extra class and the activity schedules, she left the table with a quick goodbye. Letting his head flop on the table, he fought against the conflicting urge to be mad at her manipulation tactics and be glad that she wasn't willing to throw him to the female wolves of East High. Finally listening to the feelings he had been suppressing since the weekend camping trip, Troy realized that the other feeling that made his belly curl was jealousy. With that thought in mind, he left the table to make a quick call to Chad before breakfast ended to find a way to get her out of being an auction item.

* * *

For Gabriella, the next few days rushed by in a blur of lifeguard shifts, _Grease_rehearsals and activities. Phonecalls to and from Taylor racked up a cellphone bill that the student President promised would be covered by the class government's budget. She tried to keep up with her friend's requests and offer her opinion, wondering every time the phone rang how useless the others on the council really were. When the fax came through on Friday saying that she was good to go ahead and plan the charity function with full approval, she had smiled all through breakfast until Troy commented on it. When she told him, his amused look had turned dark and he had stormed off, leaving her to bite her lip and feel guilty about making him mad.

"He doesn't want you on the auction list," Anna told her quietly and Gabriella's guilt grew.

"I know, but I don't understand what the big deal is," she answered, her voice small.

"Don't you? It's the same reason you didn't want all those girls pawning over your superstar," the other girl pointed out kindly, shaking her head.

"He's not mine," Gabriella responded instantly, her heart racing.

"Isn't he?" Anna left the topic alone as she continued to call out stage directions to the campers playing the chorus rolls in the upcoming play, leaving Gabriella to consider her words.

It was later that night, after Gabriella had left her girls in the cabin for quiet time before lights out, that she found Troy alone on the basketball court. Leaning against the open gate, she watched as the floodlights glinted off his sweaty skin. He had stripped down to only his shorts and Gabriella wondered how long he had been there to work up that kind of heat. Her eyes followed his steps, the dribbling, the spin, and then the shot. When he took his position again, his eyes fell on the spot where she was standing.

"Hey." It was quiet, simple and it conveyed more than Gabriella needed to know that he wasn't angry at her.

"Hey." She caught the ball that rebounded off the rim and bounced it twice before taking the shot. "Do we need to talk?" Troy smiled at the question, knowing that if he said no, she would leave it alone.

"I don't want some idiot to buy you in the name of charity and expect to have the right to feel you up all night," he told her, capturing the ball and feinting right before breaking left around her defence and going for the layup.

"I doubt that will happen given the number of cheerleaders going on the list. Most guys will want Nikki Forbes or CassidyLocke. I only agreed to do it because it's hypocritical to ask other people to do it and not be willing to do it myself." She knocked the ball away and dribbled down the court, shooting for the basket just before Troy reached her. He paused when he heard her answer and Gabriella gave him a weird look. "What?"

"God, you haveno idea, do you?" he asked, completely mesmerized that she was unaware of what she was capable of doing to the active male body. She raised an eyebrow and stole the ball, but just bounced it against the asphalt while he continued to stare at her. "Do you realize the riot that will happen when guys realize you're willing to let them buy you for a whole night? Brie, they will be all over you like Lakers tickets."

"Don't be ridiculous," she replied, playing with the ball. "I've seen girls make out with the poster of you outside the gym doors when they think no one is looking. People rush to move out of your way and girls try to bribe Chad everyday for the code to your locker. You can't tell me that I have that kind of power."

"But you do," he insisted, taking the ball from her and throwing it behind them. "The difference is that you don't notice. Do you know why Drew McDermitt bailed on Taylor only days after being elected Vice-President for student government? Because he thought you were going to be on the council as well. He didn't know the difference until he overheard Chad and I talking about it and he asked. The next day, we're in political science and Taylor is ready to kill him because he withdrew his win."

"One person," she scoffed.

"Fine, you want more? Liam Isaac. The guy has an 85 percent average and his dad teaches calculus at West High, yet he comes to you for tutoring? Give me a break. Ask Taylor how many times someone has tried to convince her to change lab partners or seats so they can sit by you. Guys who don't have any interest in athletics crowd the stands to watch you run. Brie, the only reason those guys don't make it obvious is because you don't pay them attention. They think you're out of their league and their right, but doing the auction? It's giving them permission."

He was jealous, she realized with stunning clarity. That was what was burning in his eyes and turning them so dark that they looked the same color as the navy sky. She took a step closer and ran a finger down the line of his breast bone, wondering if the shivers were from his damp skin or this magical effect he claimed she had. Looking up, Gabriella swallowed.

"Am I giving you permission?" she asked in a low voice, her cheeks turning pink with the unnatural forwardness she usually didn't possess. She saw him swallow and close his eyes, his hand reaching up and grasping the one trailing his chest.

"I want to believe that I already had permission," he whispered, cupping her face and searching her eyes.

God, she didn't know what to do. The adrenaline racing through her system ached to have him kiss her; to wrap his arms around and refuse to let her go. Her heart was racing and her breath sounded uneven to her own ears. The place on her face where his hand was touching her was searing hot with heat. Gasping, she leaned in and rested her forehead against his chest. She felt his chin settle on the top of her head and she closed her eyes as his arms settled about her waist.

"You do," she whispered.

"Please, don't tell Matsui you'll do it," he softly pleaded, his lips against her hair.

"We have time to work it out," she told him quietly, tracing the muscles on his chest with one feather-light finger. "I'll just have to say no."

He chuckled and she felt the vibrations radiate through her as well. Turning her face so that her cheek rested against the clamminess of his damp skin, she stared into the shadows. She could have remained there all night, completely satisfied, but fate had other plans and when the sounds of footsteps on the gravel path broke through their solitude, she felt Troy's arms loosed from her hips. Breaking apart, she tried to calm her face as the voices got closer and Brett called out to them.

"You guys missing a ball?" he asked, stepping into the glow of the floodlights.

"Uh, yeah, we couldn't find it. Thanks." Troy awkwardly rubbed a hand along the back of his neck and Gabriella caught the look of uncertainty that flitted over Anna's face.

"We called lights out to all the kids and thought we would join you for a game. What do you say?" Brett bounced the ball once and then spun it on his finger.

Gabriella shifted from one foot to the other, trying to find a way out of it so she could flee to her cabin and think. Glancing at Troy, she knew he felt the same and she begged him with her eyes to come up with something believable. He shrugged and sighed.

"Actually, we were about to head back. I'm all gross and sweaty, plus Brie and I are supposed to call home and try to crash a party from miles away. Another time," he told Brett who shrugged that it was no big deal.

Following Troy to where he had left his shirt and sweater, Gabriella waited for him to gather his things and then followed him down the path. When they were far enough away that they could no longer hear Brett and Cheyenne calling out teams, Troy stopped and pulled her to him. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he grinned shyly.

"I'll find you tomorrow. We'll talk then." She nodded and he led her to their cabins, calling a soft goodnight before entering through his front door.

Gabriella tilted her head back and trailed the lines of stars crossing the sky with her gaze. Her emotions were bubbling so close to the surface that she felt like she was being pulled in a million directions while not really noticing any of them. What the hell had just happened? She had almost kissed Troy Bolton. That part was very real. The fact that he had reacted the same was burned into her mind as well.

She was falling for Troy. There was no denying it any longer or hiding it under the false allusion that they were simply close friends. She could probably cut the crap as well, she told herself, and admit that she had already fallen. She knew that under any other circumstance, part of her would be slightly hysterical, but she wasn't.

Because he felt the same way.

* * *

Troy couldn't sleep. Staring at his ceiling, all he could think about was what almost happened and the fact that he had wanted it so bad. Turning on his side, he contemplated calling Chad but it was late and he wasn't sure it was something he wanted broadcasted to the whole team of Wildcats back in Albuquerque. Sighing, he twisted again. Her hair had smelled like a mix between chlorine and coconut. The fact that he had been that close made him squirm with impatience as he glanced at the clock. At some point he fell asleep, but not before replaying every detail of those moments over and over.

* * *

It was after lunch on Saturday when Troy found Gabriella in the lifeguard office surfing the internet. Slipping through the partially open door, he leaned over her shoulder and scanned the webpage she had opened before whispering in her ear.

"Why are you researching for plane tickets from Denver?" he asked, his breath tickling her neck.

"Mom leaves next Thursday for a conference in Boston and won't be back until a few days after camp ends. I was talking to Jayme and thought if I could drive back to Denver with her then I could fly out of the airport there and get Chad to pick me up at the airport in Albuquerque. Mom said she'd pay for it," Gabriella explained, spinning the chair so that she could look up at Troy.

"Or you could drive back with me and Dad when he comes to pick me up," Troy pointed out. "Less time and you'd be home quicker. Plus you would have charming company."

"You don't think he'll mind?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Not at all. When I told him you were here, he said he wished he would have known because he would have driven you up as well. I'm supposed to call home tonight; I'll let him know then." He reached his fingers up to brush a curl from her face and she blushed. "I'll make sure he brings the SUV and not my truck."

"I hate that truck," she told him and he did an exaggerated impersonation of someone stabbing him through the heart.

"That's only because it's too big for your preppy little convertible to drive over," he told her and she laughed. "Now, we have sorted out how you will be going home, we have a much-needed talk to follow up on."

"I know, but-," she was interrupted by Ben entering the office. Troy immediately straightened and Ben gave him an odd look.

"You're on and then Kylie says she needs you after supper down at the theatre to make sure everything is ready to go for Monday afternoon." Turning, he was out the door before he came back and poked his head inside. "Don't forget the staff meeting at 8," he reminded them and Troy sighed.

"Like I was saying," Gabriella said, giving Troy an apologetic smile. "I think it's going to have to wait until we can get more than five minutes without being interrupted."

"Alright," he sighed, stepping towards the door. "I'll see you at the staff meeting."

Waving him out the door, Gabriella leaned against the back of the chair and sighed happily. Nothing had changed and yet everything had. He was the same yet so different to her. Straightening, she closed the internet window for the airline and opened one for her email account. Typing quickly before Ben came looking for her again, she sent it to her mom and went back on duty.

'_Don't worry about flights. I'm coming home with Troy.'_

One simple message that held so many implications.

* * *

Troy had decided early in his employment at Maplevine that staff meetings were rarely entertaining. However, listening to Pete drone on about the upcoming final week of camp was made easier by Troy's ability to watch Gabriella without feeling like a stalker. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she took notes or played with her hair and whispered to Anna. It wasn't until Brett's elbow connected with his ribs that Troy actually heard what Pete was saying. Gabriella grinned across the table at him before a curtain of untamed curls blocked her face from view.

"So the play will go on stage Monday evening. Some of the locals from the town and some of the parents will be attending. If you are not part of the crew, you are to be in the audience. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be normal days although the drama activities will be replaced with extra time in other areas. Kylie is being assigned to help with the canoeing lessons, Anna can go with Jayme for soccer and Ella can go to basketball," Pete listed off as he proceeded to go through the items. Troy managed to refrain from pumping a fist in the air or doing something else that would guarantee attention.

"What time is pick-up on Friday?" Hailey asked from further up the table.

"I'm getting there. Pick-up begins at 10 in the morning and runs all day until 4 in the afternoon. There will be a schedule on each of the cabin doors so that parents know where to find their child and the counsellors will remain with their cabins all day. When all the kids have left, you will have free time for the remainder of the day. Saturday will be strictly clean-up and shut-down for camp and then Sunday you can all pick up your checks from the office and escape back to civilization." Troy's thoughts briefly left Gabriella alone and began to remind him of all the purposes the money was to serve. Car tune-ups, new court shoes, a round of golf at Lava Springs...the list continued.

"Now for tomorrow. It is tradition that the kids plan and execute an evening of activities for the counsellors as a thank you. To get ready for it, I'm kicking you all into town." At Pete's words, every head at the table spun towards him. He pretended not to notice and continued. "So after lunch tomorrow, I will drive you into town in two runs. You will have all afternoon to wander around and enjoy the freedom. I will pick you and bring you back for dinner and the kids will take it from there."

"Does this mean I can wear a dress and actual shoes?" Anna asked, completely intrigued by the idea. The others laughed and Pete nodded.

"Yes, it does. Now get going," Pete ordered and every counsellor bolted for the door.

Troy matched his steps to Gabriella's as they let the rest of the group lead the way back to the cabins in the dark. They waited until the voices up ahead dwindled to distorted murmurs before he reached out and laced his fingers through hers. She stepped in closer so that their arms twined together, savouring the heat the seeped through the sleeve of his shirt.

"So we have a whole afternoon of freedom tomorrow," she mentioned, slowing as they neared the common area where the others waited.

"We'll make sure to lose the rest of them for awhile," he whispered before letting her hand go and approaching the group.

"You guys get lost or something?" Cheyenne asked, something of suspicion in her voice as she looked between the two of them.

"No, I'm just slow," Gabriella responded breezily, flopping down on the grass and pulling Troy with her. "What did we miss?"

"Anna and Hailey are deciding what to wear tomorrow," Ben sighed, taking a seat on the grass as well. "Apparently it's a difficult decision."

"It is," Anna insisted, laying back and watching the moon peek in and out of the clouds. "All summer, I've worn shorts, jeans, sweats and t-shirts. Tomorrow is like this lost concept of fashion."

"I've already decided," Gabriella taunted, mentally going through the items in her closet.

"Really, now," Troy commented quietly in her ear while everyone else listened to Anna's dramatics.

He saw Gabriella's smirk as she shifted and lay down so her head was in his lap. Discreetly letting his fingers tangle and comb through her hair, Troy let all the pent up emotions go as he listened to the quiet bickering of his friends and Gabriella's even breathing.

* * *

Gabriella rubbed a hand over her eyes and sighed as the person on the other end of her phone continued to chatter. Although she had managed a few moments of sleep during the night, she had spent most of the time lying awake. Her nerves felt frayed and her emotions were completely unchecked, her patience growing thinner as Sharpay's voice grated on her nerves. Ruffling through her closet for something to wear, she froze when Sharpay switched conversation topics.

"So how's Troy Boy?" she asked, catching Gabriella off-guard. "He called Zeke the other night when he was showing me how to bake double chocolate torte and when he hung up, Zeke said he was acting wack." Gabriella opted to try a perfected skill and distract her.

"You made chocolate torte? That sounds fun," Gabriella replied, pulling out a emerald green sundress and tossing it onto her bed before moving onto the suitcase full of footwear.

"Nice try. I want the dibs on the all-star wildcat. Taylor said you're like being friendly and shit." Gabriella swallowed at the determined tone and hoped that she had been a good student on the days Sharpay would offer acting tips.

"We are friends, I guess." It wasn't a lie, they were friends. "The first few weeks were hard but then we had to work together so we sorted stuff out. It's weird to think the summer is almost over." Pulling out a pair of gold sandals with no heel, Gabriella threw them in the direction of the dress.

"I know," Sharpay gushed and Gabriella sighed in relief, knowing that the actress' attention had been successfully diverted. "It's been so awesome. It would have been more awesome if you were here, but it was still pretty great. And I talked to Taylor the other day and she told me you got approved for the charity auction which is fabulous. Plus, I have the greatest ideas for the prom, even though it's months away. Hey, which arts class are you taking?"

"Vocals," Gabriella told her as she slid her shorts off and wiggled out of her tank top. Pulling the dress up, she left the room to find a mirror so she could pull up the zipper. "The rest of my classes were mandatory so I dropped study hall, moved my P.E period and registered for that one." Struggling with the zipper, she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Stumbling over the mess of the cabin, she pulled the door open and hauled Troy in while indicating for him not to talk. "Anyway, Shar, I have to go. I'll see you next week when I get home."

"Can I book us in for facials at the club?" Sharpay asked, excited.

"Sure. Anything you want. Tell Ryan and Kels that I said hi," Gabriella finished, standing still so Troy could fumble with the zipper.

Hanging up, she turned in his arms when he finished. He was wearing khaki shorts and a navy blue polo. He had converse on his feet and his hair looked like he had actually looked in a mirror after getting out of the shower. Leading the way back to her room, Gabriella shoved her feet into her sandals and searched through her limited jewellery that she had brought to find earrings and a necklace.

"Sharpay is obviously excited for you return," he noted, watching as she ran her fingers through her hair and left it fall past her shoulders. She shrugged her narrow shoulders and tossed her phone into the tote bag that already held her wallet, camera and lip gloss.

"She's getting bored. The country club girls have left for home and everyone else is working," Gabriella told him, locking the door to the cabin with her keys and dropping them in her bag.

"She needs more friends," Troy commented, taking her hand to hurry her up. "I didn't even realize you guys were that close."

"Technically, we're not," she admitted, "Compared to my other friends, Sharpayand I are just acquaintances who get along. To her, though, we're best buds because her knowledge of give and take is slightly lacking."

"And that doesn't bother you?" He sounded surprised and Gabriella shrugged. "She means well, she just doesn't know how to show how she feels. If she wants to consider me her friend than I'm not going to deny that, it just means that in a crisis, she's probably not the first person I would run to."

"Fair enough," Troy replied as they neared the main office to see Pete leaning against the door to the camp van and a few of the counsellors lingering around.

"I'm taking a load in now and I'll come back for the rest. There's room for you two now or you can wait," Pete called as everyone waiting scrambled into the back seats.

Troy and Gabriella climbed in and found seats between Anna and Kylie while Caleb and Jayme rode in the very back and Brett sat up front. It was a forty minute drive into Maplevine Ridge and when Pete left them in front of the post office, he reminded them that he would be back for 4:30. Letting her eyes roam, Gabriella picked up a small diner, a coffee shop, a hair salon and a doctor's office all surrounding the intersection. Troy mentioned the grocery store and a pharmacy were further down the main street along with the government buildings and a few odd shops. Squeezing her hand and pulling her onto the sidewalk, they waited while everyone else decided what to do.

"What's it to be, Brie?" Troy asked after Brett announced he was hungry and Anna decided she wanted a haircut.

"You know, I have this craving for ice cream," she told them, grabbing Troy's hand and tugging him along the sidewalk and away from their friends. "We'll see you guys after," she called, seeing them look slightly confused before heading inside the diner. "You hear that?"

"Hear what?" he asked, tangling his fingers with hers and leading the way into the ice cream parlour.

"That, my Wildcat, is the beginning of an afternoon free of interruptions." She listened to the tinkling bell over the door as she pulled them both inside.

"Your Wildcat?" he asked, stopping her before she reached the counter. "Is that what you want?"

"Well, that and ice cream," she said shakily, feeling her cheeks flush. "I didn't really mean to spill it like that. I thought there would be some ice cream, maybe some flirting, and then a talk filled with anxiety and weird feelings."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, glad that the shop was empty except for the lady behind the counter who had disappeared in a moment of discretion. "And what would happen after this talk where we both spill our guts and hope the other person feels the same so that we don't feel like an idiot in return?"

Gabriella bit her lip and gripped his hand, feeling her fingertips go numb. Was this their talk? Or was this the flirting part? And why was her head running in a hundred different directions while her eyes could only focus on his lips? His hands were burning hot and she suddenly felt warm as she debated what her answer would be. Except that Troy wasn't waiting for an answer and Gabriella was no longer staring at his lips because they were on hers and her world was exploding.

* * *

Troy had no idea what possessed him to do it. Not because he hadn't been thinking about it, because he had, but because he hadn't sure how she would react. It had been on instinct, watching her fumble honestly over her words while being so desperately shy, that he had leaned in and captured her lips. When she responded, dropping his hand and winding her fingers through the hair against his neck, he let go of all his anxieties and worries and melted into her. His hands were on her face and sliding through silky curls and while it only lasted a few seconds, Troy felt like he had found an oasis after being dragged through the desert.

Letting his hands fall from her face as they broke apart, he slipped his hands around her waist and dragged her closer. Her arms remained twined around his neck and she let her forehead collapse on his chest as she caught her breath. Rubbing circles with his thumbs across her lower back, he could feel the goosebumps rising through the thin material of her dress. Pressing his lips firmly to the top of her head, he looked up sharply as the woman emerged from behind the curtain in the back room. She bustled around without making eye contact, but Troy suddenly had the intense desire to get out of there.

"Two vanilla scoops in a cup," he choked out to the woman and Gabriella giggled into his chest.

Thanking the lady when she dished up their order and he had paid, Troy held both bowls in his hand as he guided Gabriella out the door with one hand firmly on her back. Reaching a secluded area in the small park across the street, Troy let his legs fold under him as he pulled Gabriella down into his lap. Not caring about his ice cream, he set it aside, and sat perfectly content with his arms around her as she spooned tiny bites out of the dish. When he brushed a kiss against her shoulder, she shivered.

"Can we consider that a successful chat?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Yeah." Leaving her ice cream dish beside his, she turned in his lap and lay against the solid presence of his chest. "I wish we could stay just like this. I'm sick of everyone back at camp pushing us. I'm ready to go home," she murmured, trailing her hand through the grass.

"Me too," he told her. "Me too."

* * *

_AN: Okay so I did it. And I so hope it fits. This chapter encompasses alot so it moves pretty fast, but I hope its not so fast that it loses the pace I've been trying to keep. Review and let me know! The last reviews on the last chapter meant so much, thank you._

_~Van_


	12. Define Boundaries

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Twelve- Define Boundaries**

_boundaries (noun): __an often imaginary line separating one thing from another._

* * *

Gabriella considered herself a fairly rational person. She solved math questions with logic. She approached her friends' personal problems with objectivity. She combated any situation labelled 'crisis' with strategic planning and consideration. Rationality kept her world balanced and understandable, with uncertainty and anxiety tightly reined in under her control. Spontaneous thoughts or actions were only followed through when all the consequences were considered. If there were repercussions, she would file that memory away and ban the possibility of it happening again. Troy and all he entailed was currently causing her to freak out.

Lying on her back, her knees bent and her curls crawling across the pillow, she tried to pull all her thoughts into one, reconciled train of thought. She was being bombarded by every thought or memory of Troy Bolton, the good and the bad, and yet they all led to the moment of that afternoon when his lips had captured hers and she had never felt so complete and content in her entire life. Sighing, she tried to understand why her brain was making everything so difficult. For once, she found fault in the rational side of her personality, the part that was currently replacing all the good moments with the doubt of the bad.

The little voice at the back of her head that usually chastised when she was procrastinating homework or when she deterred from the carefully planned schedule of events and projects, continued to bring her thoughts back from blissful, hormonally driven memories to remind her that this was Troy Bolton. East High's alpha male. The object of girls' obsessions. The person who represented everything she hated about high school. He had made her no promises.

Maybe that's where all her doubt stemmed from, she realized. The afternoon had been perfect. They had remained in the park until meeting Pete at the main intersection in town, discussing school and friends and plans for college. It had been easy, effortless conversation. There had been no other kiss, but Troy's hands never left her skin. The evening had been enjoyable as they returned to camp to find that the mess hall had been creatively decorated to resemble a fancy restaurant where the campers acted as hostesses and waiters. Later, there had been an outdoor movie projected onto the wall of the theatre and Gabriella had tangled her fingers in Troy's hair as he lay in her lap, watching her face instead of the movie. Yet, at no point did they discuss what would happen when they returned home.

There had been looks of curiosity from their co-workers and horribly disguised whispers of gossip but neither she nor Troy confirmed or denied anything. She hadn't thought about it then, caring to bath in the afterglow of rocketing emotions, but now, alone in her room with nothing but her own thoughts to attack her, she couldn't help but listen to the voice of reason that had guided her well up until that afternoon.

"What if it's just this place?" she whispered out loud, tears of frustration threatening. "What if it's nothing more than the effects of everything else?"

She didn't have an answer for herself. Her heart remembered the increased beats that occurred whenever he was close but her mind remembered the breakneck speed of their summer conciliation and wondered if their current position and feelings were confined within the limits of the Colorado mountains. Turning on her side, Gabriella snatched her cell phone off the table and considered calling Taylor. Feeling a tear slide down her cheek, she shook her head and replaced it in its position. Taylor couldn't help her. Troy could, but Gabriella didn't trust herself not to hurt him if she was wrong.

She was on her own.

* * *

Troy felt lost. He would be the first person to admit that Gabriella Montez was a complicated person. Since they entered high school and relationships became more than watching movies or shooting hoops in Chad's back yard, he had accepted that she had a multi-faceted personality. Pushing her buttons had been more than amusement; it had been his way of proving he still knew who she was. As long as he could get the expected reaction out of her, she hadn't become a complete stranger to him. He had thought that their summer at Maplevine had stripped both of their walls away and that for the first time in years they were letting each other in and making an effort. Troy had seen the day before at the park as a milestone that cemented how far they had come. He had no idea what had happened between last night, when he dropped her off at her cabin, and right now, at the breakfast table.

She hadn't slept. That part was easy to see by the haphazard way she had thrown her hair up in a sloppy bun and the dark shadows under her eyes. He was concerned as he watched her push the eggs around her plate; not once lifting the fork to her mouth for a bite. Her toast lay cold and unbuttered and her glass had yet to be filled with any drink. He frowned as she flinched under the touch of his fingers on her knee.

"You feeling okay?" he asked quietly, worry in his voice. The only people at the table aside from themselves were Ben, Anna and Caleb.

"Headache," she answered in a low voice, but Troy's frown deepened when she didn't even try to force a smile.

"You nervous about this afternoon and the production?" Maybe she was just stressing out, he thought.

"It's not like I'm in it," she pointed out, pushing away her plate.

"I know, I just thought that maybe-," he didn't get to finish because she was getting up from the table.

"There's just a lot to do," she told him, "I'll see you later."

As she walked away, Troy sorted through anything he had done in the last twenty minutes to make her angry at him. Coming up empty, he wondered if someone had said something to set her off. There was no way to know, but something definitely had her thinking and on edge. There was nothing in those few words between them to indicate the connection they had shared the day before. It was as if yesterday afternoon and last night had never happened. Did she regret it?

Something inside him twisted when the question slammed into his brain. She couldn't, could she? She would have said something instead of leading him to believe she was happy. Did he make a mistake and cross a line he hadn't realized was there? God, there were too many questions and no answers. Somehow he had gone being excited just to see her that morning to being riddled with doubt.

Pushing his own plate away and leaving the table, Troy left the mess hall and took the path back to his cabin. He passed the theatre on his way and he gave into the urge to duck inside the open door. He barely made it past the first few rows of assembled chairs before he heard the low murmurs of voices. Crouching down, he watched as Hailey eyed a pacing Gabriella.

"I'm being an idiot. I know that," Gabriella told Hailey as Troy eavesdropped. "But it's him and then there's yesterday and God!" she exclaimed. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"You need to relax," Hailey said gently, and Troy fumbled to figure out what the problem was. It obviously had to do with him but until thirty ago at breakfast, he had been unaware of a problem. "You're getting all hyped and going nowhere. Take a breath and spell it out for me."

"What if yesterday was just a spur of the moment? What if he didn't mean it the way I think he meant it?" Troy didn't understand Gabriella's doubts. Hadn't he made it plain how he felt?

"Ella, this sounds like a conversation that you should be having with Troy," Hailey told her. "I know you said you talked, but obviously it wasn't about the stuff that's getting you all freaked out now. You need to find him and you need to talk about it."

Troy decided that was his cue to leave before they noticed him. Turning, he carefully backed away from his hiding place until he reached the door. Quickly glancing towards the stage, he escaped the building while the girls were still occupied. Stretching cramped muscles, he considered what Gabriella had told Hailey. It hut that she doubted his intentions, but it also hurt that she hadn't come to him about them. Hailey was right about one thing and that was that they needed to have a real talk.

* * *

Gabriella couldn't have asked the campers to put on a better show. As she gave the cue to the backstage crew to lower the curtain for the end of the final scene, she grinned as the actors ran backstage to reassemble for the curtain call. Gabriella grinned and quietly congratulated them as they did three encores in perfect succession. When they were finished, she ordered them to the back to strip out of their costumes and scrub the makeup off their faces before heading to the mess hall for an ice cream after-party.

Parents were already milling about backstage and when Gabriella emerged from behind the curtain to begin rounding up helpers to stack chairs, she found a large number of people from the town as well. Politely accepting praise for a job well done from a number of people, Gabriella began switching on lights and collecting discarded programs. When the campers and their admirers had fled the theatre for the party, Gabriella and Caleb began stacking the metal folding chairs for storage. At some point, Kylie had pulled the curtain up and Gabriella could that on stage, Brett and Troy were following Anna's direction in dissembling sets and lights.

It took the better part of an hour for the chairs to be stacked and lugged to the storage closet in the back until they were needed next year. As Gabriella returned from her last trip, she stooped to pick up a few rampant balloons that had been let loose during the carnival scene in the play, and was almost knocked over by Troy who was carrying several potted trees.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, setting them down and helping her to collect the rest of the balloons.

"Yeah," she said, biting her lip and staring at the floor. "Are you almost done?"

"Not really. I need to strip all the lighting cords out of the panel and take down the set rigging. I'm going to be awhile," he replied, "Did you need something?"

"Umm, it can wait, I guess. I need to pack away the costumes and then I told Pete I would drive people back into town since we didn't have much parking. Do you have any free time tomorrow?" she asked, nervously fidgeting. Troy had never made her nervous before now. "I need to talk to you about some stuff."

"Stuff about us?" he asked quietly and she felt the guilt twist her stomach.

"Yeah, sorta." The fact that he looked upset made her even more anxious.

"I have tomorrow afternoon off," he told her quietly, "I'll come find you then."

Gabriella nodded and he disappeared into a side door that led to the backstage. Sighing, she felt the overwhelming emotions rise over her again and she took a deep breath before resuming her task of tearing down the production.

* * *

Troy didn't like that he felt relieved when Pete appeared on the basketball courts early Tuesday morning and informed him that Gabriella was needed to cover Cheyenne's shift at the pool. Troy and Gabriella had avoided each other for the rest of evening after the sets for _Grease_ were stored away and the theatre swept clean for the end of the season. He hadn't taken any comfort in the flash of guilt on her face the night before when they had spoken or Hailey's apologetic smile later. Yet, Pete's reassignment of Gabriella to the pool meant that they didn't have to spend a morning in awkward silence while they coached the campers.

"Cheyenne's cabin has the flu or something," Troy told Gabriella when she showed up after breakfast, "Pete was by to say that they need you at the pool."

"Seriously?" Gabriella groaned and Troy's hopes soared a tiny bit at her obvious reluctance. "This sucks. I feel like crap and it's supposed to rain." Troy frowned. He had thought her headache yesterday was a cover-up for her feelings but with Cheyenne sick, maybe there was more to it.

"You weren't feeling well yesterday, either," he pointed out, noticing she looked a little pale. "Maybe Cheyenne is passing it around." Gabriella shrugged.

"I'm okay. I think it's just all the stuff going on this week. I guess I'll be at the pool if you need me," she told him, digging out her keys so she could go change. "You said you would come find me when you're off?"

"Yeah. Take it easy this morning; we don't need more people getting sick before we head home." Taking a step closer, he wrapped his fingers around her arm and pulled her closer. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he felt her relax as she leaned into his chest. "We're fine," he told her. "I know you're freaking out, but we're fine."

"Promise," she whispered, pulling away when she heard the kids arrive at the court.

"Promise."

Troy relaxed when he saw her smile before leaving the basketball area and jogging back to her cabin to change. Turning back to the grinning kids who were making various sounds or hand gestures Troy thought were extremely inappropriate, he began barking out drills and positions. When Gabriella jogged by again a few minutes later on her way to the pool, sending him a quick wave, Troy knew everything would be fine.

* * *

Gabriella leaned her head against the back of the lifeguard chair that overlooked the pool. The sky overhead was cloudy and threatened rain, but it had yet to begin and she hoped it would hold off until after the activities for the day were finished. Below, her view unobscured by the usual glare of the sun, the current group of campers in the pool launched the ball back in forth in a competitive game of water polo organized by Ben. Knowing that he was playing referee and would be watching them all for signs of a problem, Gabriella let her thoughts drift.

She was being an idiot to let her fears of the unknown and her own personal insecurities push Troy away. Gabriella knew that. Despite being horribly convinced that something had to go wrong, Troy kept proving the opposite. He wasn't running at the first sign of a mood swing or uncertainty and it didn't matter that he was nervous about why she was being distant, he still continued to show he cared. He had the unsettling ability to look past what she was saying and hear what she meant. In the span of two months, Troy Bolton had done the unthinkable and become one of her best friends.

"I'm going to end this and send them to get dressed," Ben called up from his place on the ground. "You've got the two shifts after lunch and then I'll take the one before supper."

"You're heading up to eat now?" she asked, leaning down so he could hear her over the increasing wind.

"Yeah, do want me to bring you something back here or will you be up when they're dressed?" He knew that when Gabriella had back to back shifts, she tended to stay in the pool office and review lesson plans or use the internet connection.

"I'm not feeling that great," she told him, "I think I'll just stay here." Although her attention had been focused on deciding what she would say to Troy when he came, the headache was still pounding behind her eyes and her throat still burned despite the four litres of water she had consumed that morning.

"Alright," he told her, "I'll be back later."

Waiting for him to leave, Gabriella climbed down from the chair and pulled on her sweatshirt with the camp logo. As she picked up equipment off the deck and stowed it in the closet, she noted each camper as they left the change rooms and ran up the path to for lunch. When the deck was clean, she entered the pool office and curled up in the oversized office chair. She was dozing when she heard footsteps approach the office. Lifting her head, she saw Troy in the doorway.

"Ben said you looked like shit," Troy told her as he lifted a towel off another chair and draped it over her lap. She felt warm when he touched her forehead but not enough to confirm anything.

"I'm okay, it's just a migraine," she insisted, sitting up, "We're supposed to talk."

"Not right now," he told her, smoothing back her hair. "Ben said you're done at three, we'll talk then." She caught the amused look in his eye as her own fluttered shut. It gave her hope that her thoughts from before were unfounded.

"Hey," she called before he left and he turned in the door, "I think we're fine too."

* * *

Troy spent his afternoon taking canoe lessons with Brett and the kids in Caleb and Jayme's cabins. He had been bored and staying in his cabin had no appeal so he had wandered down the trails and found Brett. Although his experience in a canoe was limited to the weeks at Maplevine, Troy offered to lend a hand as Brett organized an adapted version of a paddling competition for pairs.

"The winners get to race me and Troy," Brett declared, smirking at the look of apprehension on the other counsellor's face.

"You may be competition but he's not," one of the girls in Jayme's cabin suggested loudly and Troy couldn't help but agree with her.

"Not the point," Brett scolded, although the effect was lost as Troy laughed.

When the first group moved on to their next activity, Troy stretched out on the dock beside Brett while they waited for the next group of kids from Caleb's cabin. The sun was hiding behind darkening clouds and the waves on the lake rocked the dock more violently than usual.

"You think the storm is going to hit earlier than they thought?" Troy asked, referring to the weather forecast that had been issued from the town that morning calling for a rainfall warning overnight.

"I hope not, or it will be in the middle of the lesson. It will also mean they all end up inside and we just cleaned the theatre." Brett eyed the clouds and the water as he spoke. "At least the next group is half the size it usually is since Cheyenne's cabin is on lockdown."

"Lucky you, on my way here I walked by the pool and Gabriella looked like she was ready to pull her hair out. I could hear her threatening them with dish duty if they continued to complain about how cold the water is," Troy replied, sitting up as voices of the next group reached his ears.

"Ben said she's sick," Brett remarked, standing to meet the herd of energetic campers. "Does she have what Cheyenne has?"

"I don't know. It's Brie. She'll deny anything is wrong even when she's puking," Troy said, his voice slightly hinting at how frustrating he found it. "Our first week here, before the kids arrived, she sprained two fingers fixing the pump. She refuses to give in to anything."

"Everyone has a breaking point," Brett said just before beginning the lesson. "Even the ones who think they're unstoppable."

Troy let the conversation go, knowing that Brett spoke the truth, and settled into helping everyone find a lifejacket. Halfway through the lesson, Pete appeared at the docks, looking grim. Seeing him, Brett called to the paddlers to come in closer to the dock before he and Troy approached their boss.

"Did you both do headcounts at the beginning and end of every activity today?" Pete asked in a voice that held none of his usual laughter or energy.

"I did for both of my morning groups. Everyone was there except the six from Cheyenne's cabin," Troy told him, not liking the feeling in his gut.

"And I've done them all day. This group is missing the six from Cheyenne's cabin too," Brett added.

"You had all six girls from cabin three?" Pete asked, his voice hard, "Are you sure?" Troy tried to think as he heard Pete name Gabriella's cabin.

"Yeah, they were my first group this morning," Brett told him, looking to Troy to confirm that he too had counted them all.

"I had them before lunch. I walked them to the mess hall myself." Troy's heart began racing as he tried to remember their schedule. "Brie had them this morning. Our kids were in the pool first." He looked at Pete. "Have you spoken to her yet?"

"Not yet," he admitted, "Ben knows. I sent him to talk to her and search the area but if you had them for the second hour, than I doubt the pool will turn anything up. Get the kids out of the water and back to their cabins. They are not to leave until their counsellor tells them it's okay. We'll handle supper in a bit." Pete rubbed a hand over his face. "Troy I need you to search every equipment closet on this property and look through every room in the gym. Take Brett with you and I will make sure your campers are in the cabin. Caleb was the one who noticed he was short on kids so all your campers are in your cabin. Brett, Kylie made sure yours are back as well."

"Pete," Troy called, trying to keep his voice even, "Who is it?"

* * *

Gabriella ached everywhere and despite the humid, sticky air that preceded the oncoming storm, she felt chilled through the fabric of her sweatshirt that covered her wet bathing suit. Although she had gotten in the pool for her first group after lunch, she couldn't bring herself to get in again for her second shift. Standing on a diving block with a metal wrench in her hand, she banged out a rhythm against the flag pole beside her so that the campers in the pool could keep time as they performed their rehearsed synchronized swim routine they had been working on. Hearing the gate on the fence rattle as someone lifted the latch, she turned and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank God, you're here," she said to Ben, hopping off the block and walking over to him as the group in the pool took a seat on the edge and waited for her to tell the next group to go. "They really wanted to practice but the sound of metal on metal is not helping my head."

"I'm not-," Ben's voice was low and drawn out, causing Gabriella to interrupt.

"I know you're not supposed to be on yet but I really need some Tylenol and I'm supposed to meet Troy and-," she was interrupted by Ben in return.

"We need to send the kids to get dressed," Ben told her gently, "Pete sent me to tell you that Caleb did a headcount when his 2o'clock group showed up at the baseball diamond," he began and Gabriella looked behind him in the direction of the field on instinct. Seeing it was empty, she took notice for the first time of the seriousness in Ben's voice. "Ella, he was short by two."

"Okay, so we shut down the area and search it for any lingering kids." Even as she said it, the rational, organized side of her brain was telling her who should have been with Caleb for the current hour. Her and Troy's campers had been the first group on the pool schedule that morning. Then they were supposed to have Brett and then Troy. "Do we know where we lost them?" she asked, still trying to grasp that they were in the middle of an emergency situation.

"Apparently, one of them told Jayme she needed to use the bathroom and the other one asked if she could go with her and get a sweater. It was about fifteen minutes before the end of the activity so Jayme told the others to tell Caleb. He did a head count and came up short," Ben told her and Gabriella closed her eyes when she realized that the missing campers were from her cabin. They were hers. "Kylie got put with Caleb when they did some manoeuvring this morning, so she went searching at your cabin. When she couldn't find them, she told Pete." Ben's voice was quiet as he relayed what Pete had told him.

"So what do we do?" she asked, trying to remember the night that Pete had covered emergencies.

"We've searched every probable spot but here and we can't find them. We've called in the rangers and Pete is meeting us at the common area by the cabins. You and me need to search here and then we'll find our partners and search the woods," he explained. Gabriella had gone pale and when she spoke, she sounded desperate.

"Which ones, Ben?" she asked, trying not to panic, "Who is missing?"

Ben glanced behind her and saw the kids waiting on the pool deck. They had obviously figured out that something was wrong because they hadn't spoken a word or moved from their places. Looking back at Gabriella, Ben sighed and licked his lips.

"Elena and Alexandra," he finally told her. "We think they're in the woods."

* * *

_AN: Alright, this chapter was written with the previous one and I decided against putting them up together. Then I got all your amazing reviews and feedback and I considered rewriting this chapter a hundred times before telling myself to just put it up and deal with it. I still think it's necessary, even though many of you insisted that their kiss wasn't too soon, but the fact remains that they didn't really talk and the two of them have all this history that makes them question what made everything change. Hopefully this works without trivializing their first kiss. As for the impending drama, it was always meant to be part of the story and it's going to be a big moment for everyone so review, critique, rant, do whatever it is you are inclined to do as long as you do it. _

_Thanks,_

_~Van_


	13. Define Panic

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Thirteen- Define Panic**

_panic (verb): __to make or become so frightened that one loses the power to think clearly._

* * *

When Gabriella and Troy had combed section six at the beginning of camp, she had diligently noted everything in the area that could serve as a hiding spot, a potential hazard or something to mark her position by. The organizer in her who swore by preparedness and structure had done everything to make sure that if in an emergency, she would feel in control. At the time, she had never imagined actually searching every rock in the area for two of her own campers.

After exploring every nook and cranny in the pool area, Gabriella and Ben had locked up the gate and gathered with the rest of the staff at the bulletin board outside the cabins. All the campers were inside their assigned buildings and volunteers who had arrived from town were occupying them with games and activities. Outside, Gabriella squeezed between Hailey and Ben to stand in front of Pete.

"We'll find them," he assured her, but the only response he got was a small nod. Gesturing to the group, Pete pointed out various areas on the map as he explained. "We've gone through this before. Find your partner and search your area. Every inch of it needs to be covered. If you find something or one of them, you blow your whistle twice and wait for a signal or help to find you. The forest rangers are going to take the outer perimeter of your search areas while the rest of us stay here and coordinate teams. Any questions?"

"My partner is Cheyenne," Anna pointed out, mentioning the counsellor who had been banned from helping.

"I'm pairing you will Ella until Troy finishes checking all the equipment storage spaces. You're section is number five and borders theirs. Search both of them. Hailey can go with Caleb and Jayme and search their area as well as hers." Everyone nodded. "Alright, you can head out. One long whistle blast means return to here."

Gabriella was surprised when she felt someone grab her hand and she turned to see Anna offer her a tight smile. Taking the laminated maps from Pete, she led the way to section six. When they were far enough away from the other teams, Anna let go of her hand and they spread out so that they were still close but far enough apart to cover all the area. Glancing overhead, Gabriella noticed that the sky had darkened further even though it was only just after 4o'clock. She felt the shade of the trees send a shiver up her spine but her concern was in places other than her lack of clothing. She hadn't changed since leaving the pool except to slide shorts on over her still damp bathing suit. Pulling the arms of her sweatshirt down, she tried to protect them from the branches and shrubs she brushed out of her way.

"We should have grabbed flashlights," Anna remarked from a few feet away. Gabriella shrugged and kept her eyes trained on the ground in front of her as she scanned every bush and every tree in her path.

"The areas aren't that big. We'll be back before it gets dark."

"What if we don't find them by then?" Anna asked, her voice even and sounding curious instead of negative. Gabriella refused to consider the possibility of not finding them.

"They expand the search area and we keep looking in our assigned sections while the rangers take over the rest. They're eight, though, how far can they get?" Gabriella was not only frustrated with the fact that they had disappeared but the fact that they had disobeyed the rules she had explained to them.

"What I don't get is why they would even be in here. Obviously they are not at camp, but what would possess them to come in here during scheduled activities?" Anna shook her head and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Whatever it was, I'm disappointed. They know the rules and considering one of them is Alex, I bet she convinced Elena to join her in whatever plot they hatched," Gabriella tightened her jaw she continued to process the implications of what had happened. "I should have gone to the dining hall on my lunch break. Maybe if I had, I would have overheard if they were planning something this stupid."

"Ella, whatever this is, I doubt it was planned. They probably just wandered off and lost the trail and don't know where to go. It's not your fault," Anna assured her, glancing at the map in her hand to figure out how much area they had covered. "Besides, you weren't feeling well. That's a legitimate reason to skip lunch."

"I'm fine," Gabriella ground out, annoyed at how people kept assuming that a headache made her unable to function. "I just need to find them so I can yell at them. Then, when I'm done yelling at them, I can finally sit down and talk to Troy like we've been trying to do all day."

"Oh yeah, what happened with you two? Sunday you were all starry eyed and floaty and then yesterday he looked like his puppy died," Anna mused.

"We just need to sort some things out before we go home on Sunday," Gabriella started, wondering how much of her relationship with Troy she could hide without actually lying. "Actually it's more like I am over analyzing everything like usual and I think he believes he did something to make it happen."

"You kissed," Anna realized, sounding shocked for someone who had continuously told them she could see it coming. Gabriella didn't answer and Anna considered it permission to keep going. "I won't say anything but that's what it is, right? You kissed and now you're wondering if he's just being his usual charming self or if he really means it." Gabriella shrugged.

"I know he meant it, I just have to stop trying to convince myself that's what it is," she replied with hesitation. "But I really don't want to talk about it until I talk to him first and that won't happen until we find our little delinquents."

They continued to follow the map and the rope indicating the boundaries for each section. When they had searched section six twice, they moved on to Anna's section five. All the while listening for the sound of a whistle from one of the other teams, Anna kept up a light amount of chatter that centered on her boyfriend back in Colorado Springs and how she knew some girl named Emily had spent all summer trying to win him over. It was nearly 6'oclock by Gabriella's watch when she heard something out of place.

"And she's pretty but it's a fake pretty, you know? Because her hair dye is-"

"Anna? Do you hear that?" Gabriella asked, picking up the pace and walking towards the lake that was visible through the trees in front of them. Anna paused and looked serious as she tried to pinpoint the exact noise that Gabriella had picked up on.

"It's crying. Or it sounds like crying." She hurried to catch up with Gabriella.

Elena was sitting on a rock, her knees curled up to her chin until she saw the two counsellors. Gabriella searched her for injuries as she approached, not wanting to startle her. Her hair was slightly tangled but other than that, she seemed perfectly fine. When Gabriella called her name, the little girl turned and flung herself off her perch and wrapped her arms around Gabriella's waist.

"I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm so sorry. I knew we shouldn't have left but Alex saw a baby fox and we-" She broke off and cried even harder into Gabriella's sweatshirt as she rubbed the younger girl's hair.

"Elena, where is Alex now?" Gabriella asked and Elena lifted her face to rub at her eyes.

"I don't know. We lost it and then we saw it again but when we got here, I knew we were too far away so I told her I was going back. She told me I was boring and was just afraid you would yell at me. She kept going but then I didn't know how to get back so I stayed here. She didn't come back," Elena hiccupped and fresh tears appeared.

"It's okay. Anna is going to take you back to camp, alright?" Gabriella pulled out her whistle and held it to her mouth, blowing two hard blasts that could be heard at camp. A moment later, a return blast signalled for everyone to return to the base.

"What do you mean, I'm taking her back?" Anna asked, sceptically. "You're coming with us." Gabriella shook her head.

"No, you need to take her back and tell them where we found her. I'll stay here in case Alex does come back and if she doesn't than you'll be able to find me after talking to Pete," Gabriella insisted, taking a seat on the same rock Elena had.

"You won't move?" Anna insisted and Gabriella looked grim.

"Not unless necessary. Just drop her off and lead the others back. At least now, we know what we're looking for.

Anna hesitated before taking Elena's hand and leading the way to the trail and back to camp. Pulling her hood up, Gabriella noticed the drop in temperature once she had stopped moving. Coughing slightly, she moved until she was out of the shade and in the path of the dipping sun. Glancing every few minutes at her watch, she tried to guess how long it would take for Anna to return. After fifteen minutes, she was in the shade again and she sighed, trying to fight against the slight anxiety of being left in the woods and the building worry about how far Alex would have chased a stupid fox before turning around. Gabriella strained to listen for approaching footsteps as the shadows lengthened and the bugs near the water doubled their numbers.

Standing, she paced the edge of the water, trying to visualize the maps of camp to guess where it was most likely for Alex to be. She knew that a half mile downstream from where she stood, the land cut harshly into the lake and directed it towards the river. There were docks there, she remembered Brett saying, that marked a full mile between the canoe docks and the end of camp property. If Alex had ignored the property line, she would be outside the designated search area. Biting the nail on her thumb as she watched the numbers on her watch creep closer to nightfall, Gabriella found herself exploring the edge of the lake further and further away from where Anna had left her, but still within sight of it.

Anna had been gone almost a half hour when Gabriella paused in her pacing and felt her heart speed up at the sound of a splash and then a cry of frustration. Squinting in the failing light, she looked downstream and called out when she saw the small black shadow climbing over the rocks. A second yell and the person froze, looking up.

"Alexandra?!" Gabriella called, wondering how close the others were to coming back.

Alex froze when she heard Gabriella's voice and the counsellor swore when she saw her turn her back and scale a rock she had just slid over. Realizing that the girl was doing the opposite of what Gabriella needed her to do, and that she was instead trying to avoid a confrontation and would most likely end up further away, Gabriella let go of all reason and ignored what she had learned in countless outdoor activities about safety, and followed.

* * *

Troy was a leader. He solved problems, he made decisions, and he took charge when there was no one else to step up. He was a playmaker, something he had explained to Kelsi Nielsen once during a rare moment when he noticed her presence, and it was a quality that he retained even in situations away from the basketball court. To be successful, Troy had learned to consider all possibilities while still trusting his gut, and his gut was telling him that no matter how many equipment closets he unlocked and how many hockey nets or badminton rackets he moved out of his way, Elena and Alexandra were not going to be inside.

There had been one set of whistle blasts in the last hour, but he and Brett had continued to methodically search every storage shed or athletic closet between the cabins and the gymnasium. They had turned up nothing and Troy wasn't surprised. Alexandra, he could expect to sneak off if she thought there was something more exciting going on, but to leave baseball to explore a storage closet? Not likely. Elena, was the mystery. She was quiet and reserved, enjoying theatre and track instead of the more aggressive sports that Alexandra favoured. She was a curious little girl, but tended to hang back and let others take the lead. Troy and Brett had discussed it and neither one of them could understand why she would wander off grounds with Alexandra.

"This one's empty," Troy called, slamming the door to the equipment closet in the gymnasium and sliding the lock through the hook. He looked up as Brett rounded the corner from the back area, twisting his lanyard around his fingers.

"Both of the rooms back there are empty and so is the time keeper's office," he added. Troy wracked his brain to make sure they hadn't missed any possible spots. Brett watched his face and knew what he was doing. "Troy, that's it. We checked all of them and they're not here."

"Yeah," he sighed, "I know. Let's head back." He flipped off the lights and locked the gym doors behind him. "They searched all the other buildings, right? The theatre? The kitchen? Pete's office?"

"Caleb said they searched all of them before notifying the rest of the staff. Troy, man, they're in the woods. It's the only explanation and it means we're going to have to search it." Brett rubbed a hand over his close cropped hair. "They've probably started already since we both heard the whistle signals earlier."

"She's going to blame herself," Troy realized, leaning his head against the outside of the building. "Somehow, she will think it was her fault."

"Gabriella?" Brett guessed, and Troy nodded. "Don't think about that right now. Just go get her, search your area and when this is all over, talk to her then."

"I can't just not think about it," Troy insisted, "She's all I think about. The last two days, there hasn't been five minutes where my thoughts don't go back to her. She is freaking out about us and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to fix this."

"You'll figure it out," Brett told him, pulling him away from the wall. After a moment of thought, he turned his head to look at Troy. "Dude? Since when have you acknowledged that you and Gabriella are an 'us'?"

"Since Sunday, but I'm not sure if she sees it that way."

Brett held back his answer as they approached Pete at the center of the cabin common area. He had covered the bulletin board with a map of the area and a color coded system of who was checking which section and marking them off as they came back negative for the girls. Pete waved Troy and Brett forward when he noticed and they cut through the handful of rangers and townspeople who had turned out to help. Troy frowned when he noticed the group of counsellors standing off to the side.

"We came up empty," Brett reported, eyeing the red circles on the map that marked all of the equipment closets.

"Yeah, we know," Pete sighed and slammed a hand against the bulletin board.

"What's going on?" Troy asked warily, gazing past Pete and the others to take note that Anna was crying and Caleb looked stony while his arm held Jayme close. He couldn't see Gabriella and something in his gut turned to fire. "What the hell did we miss?"

* * *

The rocks around the lake grew larger as Gabriella followed Alex, calling out for her to stop. The earthy banks, held together with tree roots, turned into eroded shallow cliffs and stretches of rocky beach just before she reached the dock at the edge of the property. Gabriella cursed the ineffective soles of her basketball shoes as she picked her way over the stony obstacles in the darkening lights. Ahead of her, Alex was only visible by the white baseball hat.

Gabriella cursed as her foot slipped and she felt the slick edge of the boulder cut into the flesh on her knee. Wincing, she paused to look, hissing as her fingers probed at the wound and came away wet with blood. Reaching into the lake, she cleaned her hand and then splashed some water over the cut, hoping to rinse away the excess before it trickled down her leg and into her favourite shoes. Sighing, she succeeded in her second attempt to climb the rock and she continued her chase after her camper.

Up ahead, a finger of land reached into the water, presenting an obstacle to the girl. Gabriella swore under her breath and Alex hesitated and then guessing at the quantity of anger and frustration harboured by her counsellor, veered away from the only land marking Gabriella could recognize and began climbing the hill away from the lake. Pausing to catch her breath, something that Gabriella rarely had to do, she continued after Alex.

* * *

He was going to kill her. After they found her and he made certain that every part of her gorgeous body was intact, and after he made her understand beyond any spectrum of doubt that all he wanted was her, he was going to kill Gabriella dead. It didn't matter how much of him wanted to blame Anna for leaving her alone, Troy knew that Gabriella would have sat still for less than five minutes before haring off on a rescue mission in an area she knew about as well as she could drive a golf ball. There had to be a reason, he had told Pete, not to defend her actions but to press that she usually wasn't so careless.

"So let me get this straight," he said, interrupting Pete's rendition of the events to the camp owner who had arrived from town as soon as Pete had called. "Elena and Alex chased a fox into the woods, Elena decided to turn around first but realized she was lost so she stayed put until Brie found her?" Pete nodded. "And then Anna left her for God knows what reason and when Ben and Caleb went back with Anna to finish searching their section, Brie wasn't there. And not just in the immediate vicinity but far enough away that she didn't hear them calling?"

"Yeah," Pete sighed, rubbing his face with both hands. Troy figured the guy deserved a raise after the summer's events, but held no sympathy. Sympathy meant he had to feel and the moment he started feeling, he would lose his slim grasp on the anger that prevented him from reaching full panic.

"So why the hell are we standing around? It's dark and we know she has no flashlight, it's about to rain any second and she's out there in nothing more than a sweatshirt and shorts, and she's sick. Sick and lost in the dark!" Troy knew the moment he opened his mouth he would lose his temper but the question seemed so obvious that it had to be asked.

"We're following protocol, Troy," Pete sighed and Mr. Romanavo put a hand on Troy's shoulder which he rudely shrugged off.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that the rangers are taking over. They have equipment more suitable to handling this and I am not about to lose another counsellor out there. We've tried to contact Mrs. Montez but she is out of town and her cell phone keeps going to voicemail," Pete told him gently. "I put in a call to both of her emergency contacts but they aren't picking up at the provided numbers so hopefully when we reach them, they will have better means of contacting Ella's mother."

"The U of A alumni dinner was tonight," Troy replied automatically, trying to think ten steps ahead of Pete.

"What?" the manager asked.

"There was an alumni dinner at the club tonight to raise money within the University of Albuquerque alumni," Troy repeated, turning to look at his dad's old friend. "My dad and the Danforth's are her emergency contacts."

"Do you have a way of tracking them down?" Mr. Romanavo asked, thinking that if anything else, it would give the obviously worked up teen something productive to do.

"Yeah," Troy said, glad to do anything but wait around, "Give me some time."

Ten minutes later, Taylor McKessie answered Chad's cell phone sounding slightly harassed. Troy knew the dinner was a big deal for the country club and even Sharpay and Ryan had been ordered by their parents to participate in the planning and the execution. It was an annual event but it meant more this year seeing as most of the staff were seniors and many of them were applying to U of A for various programs.

"Taylor, I need Chad," Troy barked out without any pleasantries. "If you can't get Chad than bring his phone to my dad."

"Troy, do you know what tonight is? Fulton has already fired Jimmie Zara and threatened to send Jason after him. Sharpay's mother in on a headhunt for whoever mixed up the orders for the Dean's table and your dad and Mr. Danforth are talking up you and Chad up like your Kobe Bryant." Troy didn't have time for a lecture. He needed someone who could fix the current situation or at least reassure him that it would be fixed. He needed to be told by someone he trusted that Gabriella would be okay.

"Taylor, I swear that if you don't give this phone to someone, I will call everyone I have on speed dial until that staff room sounds like a fucking chorus." He heard the sharp intake of breath. "Now, Taylor." There were a few moments and muted voices before another voice became clearer.

"Troy?" Troy almost cracked at his father's voice.

"Dad, they've been trying to call you for the past hour and you didn't answer your phone so I thought I could call Chad and hopefully someone would answer. I know tonight is important but I needed to fix this and you can fix this because they can't track down her mom and-."

"Troy, calm down and explain it to me. What happened?" Jack Bolton was not used to a hysterical Troy. He knew cold, aloof Troy who pretended everything was okay and he knew cocky, arrogant Troy who thought nothing could ever go wrong. Hysterical, freaking out Troy was new.

"We had campers go missing and Brie's search group left before I could get there. I swear if I had known, I would have gone with her. Dad, I swear." Troy tried to slow down. "Dad, they lost her. She was supposed to wait for someone to come back but she didn't. She left and now they can't find her."

"Okay, Troy, give the phone to someone in charge." Troy did as he was told and there was a brief conversation filled with information he already knew. When Pete was finished, he handed the phone back to Troy. "Son, I'm on my way there. Charlie Danforth is coming with me. Your mom is trying to find the number for Maria's hotel and we'll let her know. Troy, they'll find her."

"I needed that," Troy said softly as Hailey took a seat behind him. "Thanks."

Hanging up, he felt Hailey squeeze his arm. She flashed him a reassuring smile while he turned his phone around in his hands. He needed to see Gabriella. Hold her. Hear her voice. He needed to know that she was safe and intact and not afraid. He needed her to know that he was afraid of losing her.

* * *

Gabriella reached out and fumbled for something to cling to in the dark. Twining her fingers around the rough bark of a tree branch, she jumped at the sound of a hiccup. Trying to catch her breath before answering, she took several shallow inhales and sank to the ground.

"Alex?" she called in a hoarse voice. "Alex, please don't run anymore. I won't yell, but I need you to stay put." There was the sound of rustling leaves and Gabriella shivered as the wind brushed her hair. Another hiccup sounded a few feet away and she searched the black shadows.

"I can't see anymore," came a tiny voice and Gabriella stood and carefully picked her way towards the sound. "Gabriella? I'm sorry."

It took a few moments, but Gabriella managed to locate Alex and then find somewhere to sit other than the open clearing. Leaning back against the rough skin of a tree, she drew Alex close to her chest and wrapped her arms around her to keep her warm. Fumbling under her sweatshirt, she tried to locate her whistle to call for help. It wasn't there and a bubble of true panic lodged in her chest as she searched her pockets. Remaining the facade of fake calm, Gabriella held Alex tighter.

"I know, Sweetie. I know," she whispered, letting her pounding head fall back.

"We have to wait, don't we?" Alex realized, wrapping a hand around Gabriella's wrist. "Because I ran?"

"Don't worry about that right now," Gabriella told her. "We're just taking a break."

* * *

Troy leapt up from where he had been sitting on the grass when he heard Pete call for the counsellors. Glancing at his phone before shoving it in his pocket, he noted that the time was after nine. It had begun to rain slightly and the wind had picked up within the last hour. Stepping up beside Ben, the other counsellor gave him a grim look before turning his attention to Pete.

"The rangers have combed the other side of the camp and come up empty like we figured they would. Now, this is what we are going to do. The rangers have expanded their search by two miles outside of the camp property with the estimation that Gabriella couldn't have gotten further than that without running out of light. We are going on the premise that Ella and Alex are either together or in the same area." Pete paused to hold up a lantern in one hand and a two-way radio in the other. "The rangers are going to search the new area, but the counsellors are going to search their own areas again. Start at the water and work your way up in case they are closer than we think. Keep your partner close at all times and no one is to return alone."

"Guys, it's important that if you find one or both of them, to radio it in and estimate your location. Wait for someone to come to you," the chief of the Maplevine ranger detachment spoke up. "I do want you to be aware that there are concerns about why Gabriella hasn't used her whistle. It's doubtful that she's outside of hearing range so make sure to search carefully."

"Alright, everyone is with their original partners except Anna and Troy. You're together." Troy acknowledged his assignment and grabbed the gear and the map, thrusting the high illuminating light into Anna's hands.

"Let's go," he told her, leading the way before she stopped him.

"Troy, I know that I shouldn't have left her and I'm really sorry."

"We just need to find her. I'll stop being a jerk when we find her," he said to her without turning around.

Three hours later, Troy and Anna emerged last from the woods after combing their sections more than twice from lake to cabins. Once outside the cover of trees Troy noticed how hard the rain was beating down. It was past midnight and Anna stumbled to one of the chairs on the patio of Jayme's cabin where the rest of the staff waited. Troy let her go and went to Pete, who was speaking to the Chief again.

"We found her whistle," Pete told him. "It was by the lake. Looks like she must have dropped it since it was a couple of feet from the water."

"So what happens now? Do we try again?" Troy asked, running his hands through his hair and shifting from one foot to the other. He shoved his hands deep inside the pockets of his damp jacket. The Chief sighed and ran his finger over the map, indicating a large chunk of land that was shaded to indicate it wasn't camp area.

"We think they're somewhere in here. We found her whistle a few metres past the marked boundary and it would explain why no one has found them yet," he told Troy. "It's too dark to send inexperienced searchers out there but I have my men going over every inch of it right now. It's big, and it could take awhile, but they'll find them. If not, tomorrow we call in the search and rescue helicopter."

"That could take hours," Troy exclaimed, startling the counsellors on the veranda. Lowering his voice, he tried again. "They've been out there for hours and neither one of them are dressed properly. It's raining and I know she was sick before she left. Is it bad?" Troy insisted, looking the ranger in the eye. "Tell me how bad it could be."

The grim look on Pete's face and the silence from the ranger was enough to break Troy's heart. He knew Gabriella was a fighter, but if they were right and she was with Alex, she would fight to save her first.

* * *

Gabriella was tired. Fighting to keep her eyes open, she shifted so that the tree dug into her back in an attempt to combat the urge to close her eyes. Above her, the rain beat in a steady drumming against the leaves on the trees. It trickled down the trunk and dampened the back of her sweatshirt. The ground had become wet a few hours ago and Gabriella had pulled Alex onto her lap to keep her halfway dry. Feeling the tiny body pressed against her shiver, Gabriella placed an ice cold hand against Alex's cheek.

"It's cold," the little girl murmured and Gabriella did the only thing she could think of and leaned forward to draw her sweater over her head. Manoeuvring a semi-conscious Alex into the sweater caused a fine sheen of sweat to break out on Gabriella's forehead that she wiped away after pulling the hood over Alex's hair. "You'll be cold," she remarked sleepily to Gabriella.

"It's okay," she told her, bending her knees so that Alex lay against her chest. "I'm not that cold anymore."

It wasn't a lie. Gabriella was too busy trying to stay awake to entertain the voice in her head that told her she wasn't supposed to be warm while outside in the rain at night, but she was ready to admit that she hadn't felt the cold in a couple of hours. Her skin was clammy and cool to the touch, but from the inside, it felt like she was overdressed. Chalking it all up to fatigue, she laid her head against the scratchy bark and promised herself it would only be for a few minutes.

Just before giving into sleep completely, Gabriella wondered who was dealing with Troy.


	14. Define Faith

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Fourteen- Define Faith**

_faith (noun): __complete confidence or trust._

* * *

The rain was colder when Gabriella woke. It ran in rivers down her arms, soaking into the fabric of the sweater covering Alexandra. Her hair was still in its tangled braid from earlier but stray pieces clung to her damp forehead and neck. Her muscles ached as she tried to stretch without waking the little girl but Alex stirred and raised her head.

"Where are they?" she asked, laying her head back down on Gabriella's chest. The older girl shivered and shifted position, fumbling at her wrist to read the time. The numbers looked blurry but she could see it was nearing 2am.

"I don't know, but I'm sure they're close. We can't move or they might miss us." Gabriella gently pushed Alex off her lap and stood for a moment to erase the building cramps in her legs. Her head spun and her breath quickened as she quickly sat back down and wheezed through tightening ribs. "We just have to wait."

"Are you okay?" Alex whispered, afraid as she curled into Gabriella's side. Letting her cheek rest against the coolness of the tree's trunk, Gabriella nodded her head as though it took all the effort in the world.

"I'm fine. Keep your hood up," she told Alex, drawing the dangling drawstrings tighter.

"You're hands are cold," she younger girl pointed out and Gabriella gave her a weak smile.

"They're always cold," Gabriella reminded her.

"Troy says you have icebergs in your blood," she replied, not seeing the pain in the Gabriella's eyes.

"Yeah," she responded, "He does, doesn't he?"

They were quiet as Alexandra closed her eyes and buried her face in Gabriella's side. The rain continued to pour down, no longer stopped by the leaves above. Seated on the incline of the hill, Gabriella tried to ignore the chill of the water as Alex's shift in position left her more exposed than before. Curling an arm around her, she tried to focus on something other than her senses.

She wished that Troy was with her. Lost or not, she knew that everything would be okay if she could just hear him say so. He was always so confident and self assured. Every movement was fluid and every word he spoke was thought out before being voiced. She wished that the last couple of days had been different and that instead of spending them lost in thought and defensive against his intentions, she had let him hold her a few seconds longer and kissed her a little harder. She wished this was some sort of twisted fairy tale where the princess was rescued by the white knight before anything bad happened, but she knew that wasn't the case.

Swallowing a sob, she choked on her attempts to hide her emotions and began coughing. It continued for a few moments, leaving a burning taste in her throat that spread through her chest as she gasped for breath. Leaning against the tree for support, she closed her eyes and tried to calm her inhalations. Princess or not, rescued or not, she needed to see Troy to tell him that her doubts were all wrong and that she trusted him in everything. Clinging to the memory of them in the ice cream parlour, Gabriella told herself that to give in would mean letting him down and she had done enough of that in the past two days to let it happen again.

She just needed to find enough energy to do it.

* * *

Troy sat on the steps of Gabriella's empty cabin and watched as the rangers and Pete discussed the searched areas and the weather. He couldn't hear their words but the same conversation had taken place all night as the storm got worse and then slowed down only to pick up again. It was the hour before dawn and the rain had petered off to a heavy drizzle that kept everything wet. The wind had all but disappeared and the trees gently brushed their leaves against each other to break the muted silence of the tired searchers and local people who had hung around to offer their support.

The counsellors had rearranged their cabins so that the four girls in cabin three could bunk in Hailey's cabin while Caleb and Ben had split Troy's campers and added them to their own group. Elena was asleep in the first aid cabin, her parents notified and on their way from the Texas border. Alexandra's parents were driving from Denver. Somehow, Troy wasn't sure when it happened, Pete had arranged some sort of schedule so that the counsellors had a chance to sleep but they also could take turns making sure Troy didn't plunge into the woods to find Gabriella himself. He had threatened to do it each time a ranger team came back without any success.

They had searched almost every part of their expanded area, leaving only the upper east coordinates untouched until a few hours ago when they headed back out. Troy knew that's where she was. She had to be because if they came back again without her, Troy was going to lose every shred of control he had maintained thus far. His nerves couldn't take much more anticipation only to receive disappointment. He glanced up and silently accepted the blanket that Hailey held out, letting her drape it over his shoulders as she handed him a mug.

"You don't have to make yourself suffer just because you know she's cold," the girl told him softly, sitting beside him and drawing her knees up as she sipped from her own mug.

"I heard you talking to her the other day," Troy said quietly and she looked startled. "You were in the theatre and I was going to talk to her but she was venting to you instead and I couldn't help but listen and try to figure out why she was pushing me away."

"It wasn't you," Hailey insisted and Troy sighed.

"I know. You guys have spent all summer watching us go from two people who couldn't be in the same room, to best friends. She knows me as much or maybe more than Chad does and I'm not sure she realizes it. The point is that you have seen our relationship evolve, but there is so much history before this summer that I don't blame her for having doubts. Two months isn't going to erase that." He set down the tea, knowing he wouldn't take a drink any time soon. "I just need to tell her that. I need her to know that I understand we need to keep working on things and that there are still things we don't know about each other. She needs to be okay so that when I tell her, she can tell me the same thing."

"She told me that you're the strong one," Hailey mentioned, staring across to another cabin. "She told me that even though you are always on her case for never giving in, you're the one who would continue fighting as long as you had a reason to. She fights for other people, even if it has nothing to do with her, but you fight for everything that means something to you." Hailey looked over Troy and sighed. "She admires you for that. For the passion that you pour into everything."

"She's got it wrong," Troy said, "I fight for her. I fight with her and I fight with other people about her, but it's been her for awhile and I just never understood why. She has more fire and energy than anyone I know."

"Then that's what you hold on to for the next couple of hours. If I know anything about Ella, it's that wherever she is, she's clinging to whatever reminds her of you." Hailey lapsed into silence again as Troy continued to watch Pete.

The camp manager had a radio to his ear as he brought his marker up to pinpoint an area on the map. Troy's eyes narrowed in the artificial glow of numerous floodlights. Pete's marker tracked quadrants on the map until his hand hovered over a very tiny area that Troy hadn't seen the rangers mention before. Standing he let the blanket fall to the ground as his long legs covered the distance between him and the map.

"What did they find?" he asked and Pete turned.

"A white baseball cap with the camp insignia on that Jayme remembers Alex wearing when she left. It was at the base of this incline here," Pete told him in a tired voice, indicating the spot. "They think that Alex must have assumed that everything uphill would lead back to camp, so they're climbing the hill."

"How long?" Troy asked, feeling something in him spark and his instincts tell him that this was it.

"An hour at the most. It's steep and muddy with the rain, but considering an eight-year-old climbed it, it shouldn't be too difficult."

Troy didn't know what to say without letting too much emotion show. He didn't want another lecture on how it could just lead to another route or another possibility. All he had left was hope that all the things about the last several hours that didn't make any sense, had finally led to something substantial. Something that would bring her back.

* * *

Alexandra hadn't moved in hours. Gabriella, who had set her wrist watch to the loudest, most obnoxious alarm she could find, had made an effort to count the beeps each time the hour changed. Seeing the sky begin to lighten, she found a small reserve of energy within her to pull Alex into her lap again and rub her arms with numb, clumsy hands. The younger girl's breath was warm and steady against the skin exposed by Gabriella's bathing suit and tank top.

Gripping the fabric of her sweater with numb fingers, Gabriella tried to focus on the beeps of her watch alarm as it reached 5am. Her eyelids were heavy as she struggled to open them, but she couldn't see anything in front of her as the fog blanketed everything in sight. She could hear the sounds that signalled early morning and the rushing water as it drained from up the mountain. Drawing in a shaky, wheezy breath, she planted her raw, scraped palms on the ground and changed position. Her knee ached where it had connected with the rock, but she couldn't bring herself to look at it. All she wanted was to sleep despite telling herself that was the worse idea she could entertain.

Coughing, she tried to look around, but it was impossible to recognize anything given the thick drizzle. Even if she had known where they were, she wouldn't have gotten very far without having to stop again. Struggling to hold back tears of frustration and exhaustion, she felt the raw feeling in her throat of constantly coughing up the junk in her lungs. Following another round of body-wracking coughs, she leaned her head back and pushed the hair from her face, no longer denying the dry burning of her skin.

Feeling the inability to keep her thoughts from jumping around, the spinning sensation in her head refused to leave even as she closed her eyes and took even breaths. Time lost meaning as she hovered between knowing where she was and what was happening, and the inability to coherently think. It was following another fit of coughing that Alex stirred long enough to say something that Gabriella barely managed to answer. Looking in the direction that the girl pointed, Gabriella struggled to her knees and reached to pull Alex back just as two blurry shadows emerged from the fog.

Gabriella thought of mountain lions and grizzly bears before recognizing that they were calling her name. There were more incoherent words and questions as Alex disappeared into the arms of one. In her mind, she matched the strangers in uniforms to the concept of help before she was hauled gently to her feet and then swung up into the arms of the other one.

"Alex?" Gabriella managed to get out, not even realizing that the ranger had wrapped his coat around her.

"She's fine. You're both going to be fine." The deep voice seemed detached to her as she fought to place it and failed.

"I need Troy," Gabriella mumbled, as the grey haze behind her eyelids threatened to darken. "He needs to know."

"He will," the voice replied and she nodded as she they began moving. "He's waiting for you."

She vaguely heard her rescuers call to one another and then a buzzing sound as they contacted the camp base. The person carrying her jarred as his footing slipped and she coughed, letting it shake her whole body. When she finally drew in enough breath to accept an offered bottle of water, she shook her head and let the blackness take over. It was easier not to fight.

* * *

Troy was jerked awake from where he had fallen asleep against the railing on the cabin stairs by the sound of static filling the air. A second burst of it scattered the remnants of sleep and caused him to jerk to his feet as adrenaline pumped through him. Standing on the stairs, he watched as a group of rangers, including the chief and Pete, gathered around the radio. Flipping a switch, Pete raised the receiver to his mouth.

"Go ahead," Pete called and static returned for a moment before the ranger team on the other end answered.

"Please note the following position," the distorted voice answered, naming their position on the map. "We found them. I repeat that we found them."

Pete looked stunned and relieved as he handed the radio to the Chief and looked over to see Troy leaning against the railing in an effort not to collapse. His thoughts whirling, he tried to concentrate on the rest of the message, barely registering the medical status of both girls as the turn in events sunk in. They had found her. Both of them, but Troy only had enough will power to concentrate on her. She was safe. For the next few moments, that was all that mattered to him.

He paced for what seemed like hours until he felt the air change and heard the conversation between the others present, halt. Turning, he saw the high beamed flares of light from the regulation flashlights cut through the trees behind the cabins and suddenly the noise level went several levels higher as people began shouting orders. Troy remembered Pete saying earlier that except for major emergencies or special equipment, the doctors in the Maplevine hospital would handle all medical issues at the camp in the first aid cabin. Hearing someone call for the doctor who had been around since Elena had been found, Troy's heart skipped several beats before his feet reacted. Flying across the open area, he pushed people out of his way and squeezed through gaps in the crowd. It seemed that in the span of five seconds, the number of bodies in the area had tripled.

He reached the front as the first ranger left the woods behind and handed a small, blonde and crying Alexandra to her parents before someone could pry her away to check for damage. All that escaped Troy, however, because he was running to the second rescuer whose burden was wrapped in an olive green jacket with her dark curls tumbling sloppily over the ranger's arm. Troy's breath caught for a moment as his hands kept the ranger from going any further.

"Son, she needs to be seen," he told Troy, but something stopped him from stepping away.

"I'm taking her," Troy said in a hard voice that many would have flinched at.

"I need you to step away and-." Troy's arms were weaving under her back and hands gripped her knees before the ranger could complete his sentence. Keeping his grasp on Gabriella, he stared into the dark blue eyes of the teen in front of him.

"I'm taking her," Troy repeated and he felt the ranger's grip relax as he lifted Gabriella from him. Brushing a kiss against her pale, exposed forehead, Troy let the feeling of having her close push away the pain of the last several hours. "I've got you, Brie. God, Baby, what are we going to do with you?"

"She asked for you when we found her, even if she wasn't completely with it," the ranger told Troy. He glanced at the experienced rescuer and his attitude towards him softened.

"Thank you," Troy said, glancing down at the girl in his arms. "You brought her back."

The crowd broke to let Pete through, followed by one of the doctors from town. Turning away from the rangers, he followed them as they led him and Alex's parents up the path, past the cabins, and to the first aid cabin. Inside, another doctor was giving orders as a nurse and Shannon made room for Alex and Gabriella. Directing Troy to the back, Shannon held open the door to the private exam room as Troy clutched her closer.

"Please, don't make me leave," he pleaded, for the first time dropping the hardened tone that usually got him what he wanted from strangers. Shannon gave him an understanding smile.

"Honey, I know you just got her back, but we need to assess and clean her up. Help me get her on the bed and you can wait outside the door." Troy hesitated and Shannon looked stern. "Troy, she's sick. She's dehydrated and hypothermic and the rangers think she has pneumonia. We need to help."

Troy nodded and set Gabriella on the blankets, brushing the hair away from her face as he traced her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. Behind him, the doctor entered through the door and paused in surprise at the extra person in the room. Shannon had begun to work around Troy, pulling off Gabriella's socks and shoes. Troy gripped her hand between both of his, hating how cold it was.

"Troy, honey, you promised to leave," Shannon reminded him and he kissed the hand he held before letting it go.

"I want to sit with her when you're done," he insisted and she nodded, closing the door behind him as he took a seat against the wall outside.

He listened to the murmurings behind the door as he stared at his hands. In front of him, the nurse left Alex's room and shut the door allowing her parents to stay. Troy bit the inside of his cheek as he fought to not be angry with his need to be out in the hallway while Gabriella was inside. She was alone as far as he was concerned and he hated it. Leaning his head against the wall, he watched the pattern on the ceiling until the hours without proper sleep caught up and his eyes slid shut.

* * *

The sun felt warm on her face as it beat through the window. Cracking open eyes that felt heavy, Gabriella didn't recognize the room she was in. The bed was pressed against the wall and she faced the rough wood panelling of the walls. Dropping her gaze, she frowned at the unfamiliar sheets and blankets that weighted her to the bed. The memory of the rangers in the woods was hazy and distorted but Gabriella used it to guess that she was in the first aid cabin back at camp. Feeling a single shiver crawl up her spine, she shook slightly as she inhaled and started coughing. Something itched on her face and a quick swipe with her hand found plastic tubing. Wheezing to catch her breath, she let herself melt into the mattress as something tightened around her waist and pulled her against a scorching wall of heat.

Her fingers trailed under the blankets until they found the vice. Brushing against his fingers, Gabriella located the familiar championship ring before laying her hand over Troy's. He shifted behind her as she pressed cold toes against his legs, and his breath tickled the spot behind her ear. Something on her hand pinched but she ignored it as she curved into the perfect hollows that his body provided. Soaking up the warmth, she dozed for a few moments, savouring his presence.

"Stop wiggling or I'll fall off the bed," Troy's voice rumbled in her ear, scratchy with sleep. Feeling like she was suffocating under the mass of blankets that were tangled around her, she tried not to hiss in frustration. "What are you trying to do?" he finally sighed.

"I want to see your face," her voice was hoarse, her throat burned but she swallowed and kept going. "I need to see you."

She felt him move behind her, lifting the blankets and untangling tubes and wires before helping her roll over. When he had resettled beside her, she felt his fingers trace the contours of her face. His fingers were hot and she realized that he was probably boiling under all the layers. Her hands reached for his chest and found it bare as they slid over his muscles until they rested against his stomach. Resting her cheek against the heat of his skin, she shivered from the kisses on her hair. She looked up and found his blue eyes boring into hers. Gabriella felt suspended. His finger tip followed the line of the oxygen tubes shoved up her nose and she reached up to pull it off but his hand pushed hers away.

"They stay on," Troy told her and she sighed as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I can't count how many times I've done that since they brought you back to camp."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, raising her eyes to explore the details of his face. He looked tired, she saw. Gabriella raised a hand to touch his hair and frowned at the IV line in the back of her hand.

"You were dehydrated," he explained, lacing his fingers trough hers. "Shannon said she'd take it out when you woke up." He let go to place a hand at her back and crushed her to him again. "God, Brie, I was so scared."

"I wanted you to be there," she admitted, feeling him rub circles along her back. "I needed to tell you that you did nothing wrong and all the doubts were in my head. I was so scared you wouldn't know."

"Shh," he told her gently, resting his chin on her head as he held her close. "We don't have to do this now. You're safe and that's all that matters. Elena and Alex's parents are taking them home tonight and Pete put the rest of your girls in Hailey's cabin until Friday when camp ends. The doctor from town says you can go back to your cabin tonight."

"Did they call my mom?" she asked, feeling guilty about how her mother would have reacted.

"They couldn't get her so we called my parents and my mom called the hotel in Boston. You're mom was on standby at the airport until Dad called her this morning to say they found you and he was here. She's been calling every hour for updates." Troy pulled the blankets higher.

"Your dad's here?" Gabriella asked, snuggling closer.

"Yeah, with Charlie Danforth. They drove up after getting the call last night and got in about an hour after the rangers found you. They are staying in town with the Romanavo's but are probably at the office harassing Pete into letting us leave early," Troy chuckled but Gabriella picked up on the relief in his voice and she was glad that the Bolton's and the Danforth's cared that much.

"Chad's probably freaking," Gabriella mused.

"I talked to him a little while ago. All he knows is that you got separated from the searchers and got lost once it got dark. You can fill them in on whatever you want when we get home," he assured her, closing his eyes.

"The more I think about home, the more anxious I get," she told him, letting out an uneven breath.

"I told you, we are fine. The people at home don't matter. We matter. What's between us, what's gone on the last two months; that's what matters. How I feel about you is all you need to know," Troy answered, his voice heated with contained passion. "I thought I had lost you. The more they searched and the more they came back empty, the more I wanted to rush in there and be your hero. Brie, you have no idea how much I need you even if it's to argue with. Home is just another step and we can do it."

"Everything here is safe. No one questions it or analyzes it or pries. It's easy and uncomplicated," Gabriella gasped for breath as she raised her voice and Troy wrinkled his forehead at the flush in her cheeks.

"Brie, stop thinking five steps ahead of the problem. Stay with me right here, right now. If we can only survive in the mountains with a handful of people around us, then it's not meant to be. Last night was the most exhausting night of my life and right now, all I want is for you to sleep so that I can assure myself that you're okay." Troy brushed his lips against her neck, under her ear, as she let his words sink in.

"I am okay, Troy," she told him reflexively and she could almost see him roll his eyes.

"Whatever, you say, Babe. Now get some sleep before you completely lose your voice."

She nodded, feeling him drape an arm over her waist as she nestled her head under his chin and closed her eyes. There was no sound except the variances in their breathing. Troy's was deep and even as he fell back to sleep listening to the uneven, raspy breaths coming from Gabriella.

* * *

It was late and Troy was seated at the desk in his room, writing up the required end of year evaluation and report for his cabin, when he heard the sound of coughing from the front of the cabin. Leaving his room, he scanned the sleeping campers before locating the noise outside the open window. Stepping out of the front door, Troy looked around before spotting her thin frame seated on the steps of her cabin. Sighing, he quietly he went to stand in front her.

"You shouldn't be out here," he told Gabriella softly. He had brought her back from the first aid cabin after supper, had tucked her in and placed her cell phone within reach, before leaving her to sleep. She still looked exhausted and as another round of raspy coughs shook her body, he noticed the flush in her cheeks under the dull glow of the outside light. "Come on," he told her, reaching for her hand, "Let's get you back inside."

"It's too quiet in there. I'm all by myself and it's creeping me out," she told him with a shake of her head, wobbling slightly as her head spun from standing up. "Plus I can breathe better out here."

"You can't stay out here, you'll freeze." Bending down, he settled her into his arms and carried her down the steps. "You can sleep in my cabin and we'll crank the window open as far as it can go."

"Pete will flip if he finds out," Gabriella said as an acknowledgement that they were breaking the rules but not with enough force to convince Troy she was against it.

"Pete can bite me," Troy responded, flippant, and Gabriella's giggles turned to coughs.

Quietly closing his cabin door behind them, he set her on her feet and guided her to the room at the back that was still lit by the desk lamp. Seeing that she was still in his sweatshirt that Shannon had dressed her in that morning, Troy pulled down the covers and waited as she climbed into the bed. Drawing them over her shoulders, he smoothed a hand over her still hot forehead and pressed a kiss to her temple. Opening the window as far as the hinge would allow, he pulled on his own sweater and settled into his desk chair again.

"What are you doing?" she asked sleepily, her eyes closed.

"I have to finish this report for Pete. Tell me if I'm too loud." He dimmed the light slightly and continued to fill in the blanks to provide answers to the questions.

"No, it's fine," she mumbled before drifting off.

Troy watched her for a few moments. The light from the lamp cast a yellow glow across her face that showed how the antibiotics hadn't completely kicked in yet. Her hair had been washed and left to dry whichever way it desired; the curls fanned across his pillow. Her arm held the blankets close and Troy felt a small smile pull his lips when he caught the number fourteen and his last name embroidered on the exposed sleeve. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he leaned back in the chair with his feet on the desk. Lost in thought, he didn't notice that his pencil was tapping out the rhythm of Gabriella's uneven breaths. Smiling, he turned back to the next section on the report.

_In as little words as possible, sum up one thing this summer has taught you,_ it read and Troy considered it for a moment before answering. _How to take real chances_. Laying the pencil down, Troy leaned down and unlaced his sneakers, kicking them off along with his socks. Knowing Gabriella was asleep, he shed his shorts and pulled on the sweatpants he wore to bed along with a t-shirt instead of his sweater. Pulling back the covers, he shifted Gabriella closer to the edge so that he fit. Lying down, he pulled her to him, letting his arm fall over her hip to grip the hand that wasn't cupping her face.

Rubbing circles on the bruised and scraped flesh of her hand, Troy closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair. He wasn't awake later when Gabriella awoke and changed position to accommodate that fact that Troy had fallen onto his back, his arm lodged under hers. Rolling so that her cheek lay against the fabric of his grey Wildcats t-shirt that covered his stomach, she let herself be lulled to sleep by the steady rise and fall of his breathing.

* * *

_AN: So two things in this note. One is to thank all of you for your fantastic reviews last chapter. Alot of them were really detailed and helpful and others assured me that I hadn't lost anyone so that's great. Hope this one suits what you wanted. The second thing is about the issue of continuing into the school year. Originally my plan had been to end shortly after this situation but now that seems a bit anti-climatic and I still have places for Troy and Gabriella to reach emotionally so after carefully plotting and planning it out, I can say that yes, it will extend to school. I just don't know how far. Thanks again._

_~Van_


	15. Define Departure

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* * *

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The Definition of Us

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Fifteen- Define Departure **

_departure (noun): __A starting out, as in a new course of action._

* * *

Although Pete and the Romanavo's had agreed to let Troy and Gabriella go home earlier than the rest, given the circumstances, Gabriella had put up such an argument that Troy had expected her to break down into tears. Seeing that she was determined to prove something, Troy had convinced his dad to let them stay until Sunday and leave with the rest of the staff. Jack relented and returned to Maplevine and the Romanavo's hospitality, which included two rounds of golf at the local course, and called home to his wife to update her on the change in plans. Troy, Gabriella knew, had been given strict instructions to not let her do anything but sit, sleep and watch as everyone else did the work for her. It was getting annoying and it was only Thursday with another three days to go.

"Kylie, I can handle a stop watch," Gabriella argued that afternoon as Kylie ran a series of track events before the awards ceremony that night for the campers. "I am not an invalid."

"I don't care," Kylie told her, keeping the watch close to her body and out of Gabriella's grasp. "I don't want to deal with an angry Troy and letting you do this will definitely make him angry."

"I need something to do," Gabriella insisted, groaning, "I am bored."

"No, you're tired and cranky," the other girl pointed out and Gabriella felt the fury rise inside her at the patronizing tone. "You haven't slept all day and you haven't slowed down in your attempts to worm someone out of a job. You're pale and feverish and you sound like my ninety-year-old grandma who still smokes a pack a day. What you need is a nap, but since I know you won't listen to me, I will let you sort through the track times for the summer and find the winner and the runner-up for each age group."

The look on her face dared Gabriella to argue with her further. Her face stony, she considered it. She could figure out the winners which an untrained monkey could do, or she could try to convince Anna to let her help with arts and crafts. Still glaring, Gabriella snatched the folder of recorded track times from Kylie's hand and walked several meters away until she reached the grassy area away from the track where Jayme was sprawled during her free hour. Collapsing with a poorly concealed wheezy breath, Gabriella lay on her stomach as she flipped through the sheets of paper.

"She said no, didn't she?" Jayme remarked lazily, eyeing her fellow counsellor from under dark sunglasses.

"Just like the rest of you," Gabriella hissed, although with her throat raw from coughing, some of the syllables were lost.

Making notes as she ran through the documented times, she starred those with the fastest, and second fastest times. Finishing, she contemplated returning to Kylie and triumphantly shoving the folder in her face. Instead, she lay down beside Jayme and skimmed through the magazine she held out. When the group at the track finished and Kylie crossed the grass to retrieve the names of the winners, she exchanged a knowing smirk with Jayme when her eyes fell on the sleeping Gabriella. The magazine lay abandoned on her chest and one hand was lodged in the curls at her neck.

"Are you going to get him or am I?" Jayme asked.

Shrugging, Kylie picked the folder off the ground and left in the direction of the basketball courts to tell Troy that Gabriella had finally given in and taken a break from exhausting his ability to say no.

* * *

Troy pushed his empty ice cream bowl away and leaned back on the bench at the table in the mess hall. The corny awards ceremony had preceded supper and as the campers chatted excitedly over their dessert, Troy's eyes sought out Gabriella sitting a few tables over with her remaining girls. She looked up and smiled when she saw him watching her and he grinned. She turned back to something Fiona and Delia were arguing over, breaking his gaze.

Still smiling, Troy let his eyes wander over the rest of the dining area, the sounded a loud undistinguished mass of voices fighting to be heard. This would be the last time like this. Breakfast tomorrow was an open brunch to accommodate parents wanting a bite before hitting the road again. By lunch, most of the kids would be gone and by supper, only the staff would remain. Troy felt torn between a quiet sadness of summer officially ending and anticipation to return home.

When he had taken the job at the beginning of break, Troy had jumped at the chance to escape the same routine he had been practicing since high school had begun. He had never expected to find Gabriella a step ahead of him or that their isolation would force them to push the boundaries of their differences. The question to himself was whether he would have come if a crystal ball had told him what would happen. He liked to think he would, but the truth was that the implications were such that he probably would have backed away. Letting his gaze settle back on Gabriella, Troy had to wonder what her answer would have been.

"Troy?"Ian interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah?"Troy asked absently, watching the kid try to lick a drop of ice cream off of his spoon before he could reply.

"Andrew said that we're going to have a pool party tonight but I already packed my bathing suit. Do you think we could play basketball instead?" Troy saw five pairs of eyes begging for him to say yes, but he disappointed them.

"Not tonight. It's the last group event and everyone has to be there," he replied smoothly.

There was some grumbling until one of the boys mentioned a water fight and they mutually agreed that would make up for the lack of basketball. Only half listening as they squabbled over what they planned to do the next morning while they waited for their parents, Troy found himself watching Gabriella again.

* * *

Gabriella took several shallow breaths as she tugged Delia's suitcase out of the cabin and down the stairs to the grass. It was after lunch and Delia was the last of Cabin Three's campers to head home. She was already bouncing on the grass with her sleeping bag and soccer ball when Gabriella handed the suitcase over to her father. Catching her breath, she crouched down and hugged the little girl.

"Have fun when school starts and maybe I will see you next summer," Gabriella told her with a smile.

"Will you be here?" she asked, distracted by the other campers piling their gear on the grass. Gabriella shrugged.

"I don't know yet. It's a long ways away, but you never know." She followed Delia's gaze as the girl looked around, searching.

"I told everyone good bye but Troy," Delia said, sounding disappointed. "Can you tell him?"

"Sure," Gabriella assured her, giving her a final hug before her parents gathered up her things and began walking back to the entrance. "I'm glad you had a good summer."

Watching the last of her campers follow the path, Gabriella took a seat on the edge of the lonely cabin and took a deep breath. Summer was over. It definitely hadn't been what she had expected, but it had satisfied her desire for change. Change had come in the form of Troy Bolton, and in the form of arguments and admissions and realizations. It had been unpredictable and everything she needed all at once. Leaning her elbows on the step behind her, Gabriella wondered how different thing would be when she reached home.

* * *

Troy slid his aviators into place and fought to keep the smile off his face as he paced in front of Justin and Kyle. The boys chuckled at the repeat of the first day of camp and stood ramrod straight while their parents looked amused. Troy eyed Pete off to the side but he seemed distracted by one of Anna's campers.

"Do we have our basketballs?" Troy called out.

"Yes, sir!"

"Do we have all our dirty socks?" he asked, stopping to glare at them.

"Yes, sir!"

"Did you leave me a tip for being awesome?" The boys laughed and Pete finally looked over.

"Troy!" the manager called in a wary voice.

"Yes, sir?" Troy answered, turning to see Gabriella smirking from the veranda of her cabin.

"Let them go home, please."

"With pleasure."

Helping the parents with the gear of two boys, Troy led the way to the van parked by the administration building. Helping the father load up the back hatch, Troy high-fived the final campers from cabin four and slammed the sliding door to the vehicle. Jogging back to the cabins, he met Gabriella coming from the opposite direction. Rushing her, he wrapped his hands around her waist and spun her around.

"Excited?" she asked in a sarcastic voice.

"More than anything. Let's go plot how to use our freedom with our fellow survivors," he suggested, grabbing her hand and leading her down the path.

He would miss this, he realized, the carefree atmosphere of camp and summer. The way he could do what he wanted and no one question it. Reaching the cabins, he dropped to the spot between Caleb and Anna, pulling Gabriella down with him. Letting his arms drape over her shoulders as she leaned into him, Troy joined the light conversation as they waited for the parents of the remaining five campers. Feeling the sun beat on his back, he grinned, savouring the moment of simplicity.

* * *

The air was warm as the counsellors at Maplevine frolicked in the pool. Frolicking was definitely the word Gabriella was silently using to describe them as she watched from a lounge chair on deck. With the campers gone, the girls had shed the required one piece suits and goose bumps were visible on the skin exposed by their bikinis. Hailey, Brett, Anna and Ben were playing a somewhat violent game of water tag while Kylie and Cheyenne drifted by on inflated inner tubes. Gabriella tried to keep her eyes from straying to the far corner where Jayme and Caleb's current positions led to some questionable thoughts. Keeping her eyes averted, she found Troy being typical Troy, making perfect shots with a beach ball and a three foot basketball net cemented into the pool deck in the deep end.

Turning her attention back to the four in the shallow end, Gabriella laughed as Hailey and Anna suddenly turned and launched themselves at the guys, shoving their heads underwater when they were least expecting it. There were a few moments of banter as Gabriella listened, sometimes throwing in her own retort, until a shadow fell over her chair and Troy shook his wet hair out.

"Eww, Troy," she exclaimed as water droplets splattered her hair and jacket. "That's gross."

"Really? What about this?" Before she could move, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the chair as she shrieked. Putting her down, he took a seat on the chair while she drew her knees up to give him room. "Fine, but only because you look cold."

"I'm not," she assured him, tucking her hands into the front pocket of the Wildcats sweatshirt under the thin fabric of her track jacket. "See? All bundled up." Troy looked unsatisfied until he pulled her hood over her hair while she pursed her lips.

"Don't pout," he told her, "You're finally feeling better and the antibiotics are kicking in. I don't want that to change or it will be a really long drive home." She swatted his arm at the cheeky remark.

"Maybe I won't go home with you," she said, raising an eyebrow, "Maybe I will drive home with Caleb."

"You wouldn't," Troy cried with exaggerated shock and Caleb chuckled from the water. "I forbid you to join the dark side!"

"The dark side? They're Knights, Wildcat, hardly dark." Gabriella could feel her smile get bigger as Troy's lips twitched in a failure to keep a straight face.

"What if you're the princess he's supposed to capture and bring back as his prize?" Troy asked, trying to find a way to win the argument that held little logic in the first place. "I'd have to rescue you."

There was a perfect moment where Gabriella's eyes dropped from his startling blue ones and landed on the lips that were closer than she had realized. Breath hitching, she licked her lips and looked back to see that he was staring down too. Closing her eyes, Gabriella closed the distance between them. She tasted the cinnamon of the gum Anna had handed around earlier as his tongue sought entrance to her mouth while his weight pushed her further into the cushion on the chair. Everything disappeared for a moment until a round of cheers and clapping broke through the bubble they had created.

"Knights are overrated," she whispered so only he could hear and he lifted himself off when he saw her trying to catch her breath. Gabriella gave Troy a half smile as he kissed her forehead before turning to the person who was yelling his name.

"Ben, man, interrupting much?" Troy sounded annoyed as he looked towards the pool.

"Yeah, that was the point," the other counsellors muttered and Gabriella blushed. "We're playing a game of water polo. Are you in?" Troy studied the pool and then looked back at Gabriella who had her head against the back of the chair, watching him.

"Nah, count me out. This way the teams are even," he supplied, scowling at the mixed looks of amusement and disbelief.

"Fine. But if I look over and you're doing what Caleb and Jayme were doing earlier, I am totally aiming the ball at you," Ben grumbled as Jayme flushed scarlet even in the dim lighting.

Troy shook his head as the game started, leaving only to retrieve his sweatpants and sweater from where he had flung them earlier. Gabriella shifted on the chair so that he could slide on beside her. Turning so that her cheek rested on his chest, she smiled softly as his fingers teased the curls escaping her ponytail. Watching her friends splash in the pool, she felt something tug her heart when she grasped the fact that she would rather be where she was in that moment, than in the water with them.

* * *

Troy double checked the number of basketballs in the equipment shed by the courts and then compared it to what had been in there at the beginning of camp. Seeing that they were the same, he marked a check in the appropriate column before closing the door and clicking the lock in place for the last time that season. Moving past the fenced in, asphalt court, he made sure all the nets had been removed. Locking the gate, he noted that on the clipboard as well before jogging towards the last two storage rooms in the gym. Lifting his head from scanning the inventory sheet, he glanced towards the pool area.

Making a quick decision, he left the path and slipped through the open gate to the deck, searching for the familiar, dark haired figure. He found her inside the equipment closet, hanging up lifejackets as Ben hosed them off. She was wearing denim shorts and a yellow mesh singlet over her bathing suit. Her hair was thrown up under a hat that Troy was fairly certain belonged to him and her sunglasses were in place. She smiled when he stepped away from the wall and into her line of sight.

"Finished already?" she asked, gathering three lifejackets in her hand before climbing the step stool to find the hook.

"Takin' a break," he told her, stepping over the hose and handing her another set of jackets. "Should you be up there?" His eyes ran down her body and landed on the bandaged knee from her encounter with the lake rocks.

"Yeah, why?" She climbed down and grabbed a stack of flutter boards to place on the top shelf beside her head. "I feel fine." He knew she was just itching for him to dispute the fact so she could prove him wrong so he let it go.

"Well, you're kind of short. Shouldn't you be making Ben do that?" He grinned at the glare she sent him.

"Go back to work before I climb down and beat you," she told him with a hint of a smile.

"Fine. Drive me from your presence. I'll be back and when I am, you'll want me." He flicked the hair out of his eyes with a head toss and turned away.

He could feel her eyes on him as he crossed the deck and he deliberately didn't look back until he reached the gate. Putting one hand on the metal and looking over his shoulder, he winked at her before pushing it open and walking up towards the gym to finish his job.

* * *

Cabin three looked like it had been hit by a tornado that had tossed every piece of clothing Gabriella owned all over the room. All of her shoes had been thrown from her suitcase and the hangers in the closet were empty. The books she had brought were stacked on the desk and the only thing ready to be tossed in the Bolton's SUV was her camping gear that was leaning against the door. Amongst it all, Gabriella was strategically picking articles of clothing off the floor and folding it before placing it inside the partially filled suitcase. When she had smoothed the last dress, she moved onto shorts and then bathing suits. Her track suit went next, along with all the camp attire she can obtained. Laying a sweatshirt on the pile, Gabriella frowned when she noticed how much space had disappeared.

"Where did all the clothes come from?" she said out loud, spinning in a circle to see that there were still several things still left on the floor.

"Me." Looking up from the floor, Gabriella looked startled by Troy's sudden appearance.

"You would think that after last time, you would knock," she pointed out and smirked at the flush in Troy's face as he looked away and found something on the wall.

"Yeah, well, um...," he trailed off and retrieved a hoodie from the floor. "See? Mine. Just like that, those, and that." Gabriella followed his finger as he pointed to a long-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of sweatpants and another sweatshirt. "Oh, and the basketball."

"Nice try, Hotshot, but the ball is mine," she replied while sorting through the clothes and tossing the ones belonging to Troy in his direction until he had a decent sized pile. "Did you come to get your clothes back or did you have another purpose?"

"I came to return these," he answered, handing her a handful of CDs, two baseball caps and a book, "And to see how close you were to being done. Brett is up at the mess hall hauling out as much ice cream as possible."

"I'm far from done," she sighed, piling another jacket, more jeans and another hoodie into her suitcase along with a dress she had missed and pyjamas. Her dirty laundry was in the black duffle bag beside her sleeping bag. "Can you hand me those?"

"What can I do?" Troy asked as he handed her the books and watched as she tried to jam them into her luggage before doing up the zipper.

"I need my stuff out of the bathroom," she told him, gritting her teeth as the zipper got stuck again. "Can you close this while I get it?"

Twenty minutes later, Gabriella's stuff had been jammed into one suitcase, a duffle bag and her backpack. While he stacked it on one of the empty beds in the front room, Gabriella pulled on her sweatshirt and grabbed her sleeping bag and pillow from the doorway. The counsellors had planned a movie night and sleepover in the gym for their last night together. Taking the path, they dropped off their sleep stuff before entering the mess hall where everyone else was piling bowls of ice cream high with whip cream and sprinkles.

"That's disgusting," Gabriella told Caleb as she slid onto the bench. His sundae was coated in peanut butter and topped with strawberry sauce.

"Took you long enough to get here. What were you two doing?" His expression suggested something far from the reality and Gabriella snorted.

"Not what you're thinking. We were packing my stuff. We're heading out right after breakfast and I wanted to be ready." She dug a spoon into the plain vanilla ice cream that Troy slid in front of her.

"It's going to weird," Caleb sighed, looking between the two, "Seeing you guys at games and being rivals." Troy shrugged.

"I think we can be mature about it," he suggested and Gabriella rolled her eyes. Catching her reaction, Troy grinned at Caleb. "Unless you beat us, and then I may have a problem."

"Same here," the West High player replied and Troy laughed. "What about you, Ella? Going to kick some West High butt on the track?"

"And the court, right?" Troy added, nudging her ribs.

"You're playing for East? Since when?" Caleb asked, excited.

"Since Coach showed up and spent his time in the medical cabin convincing me. Now I know how Troy became so hard-headed. It seems to run in the family," Gabriella replied.

"Well, returning to school just became much more interesting," Caleb commented before finishing off his ice cream.

Gabriella knew one thing; her senior year at East High was not going to be what she had imagined in June when she walked out the front doors. Despite being apprehensive, she also knew that she wanted it more than she had acknowledged until now. Licking her spoon, she leaned into Troy's side as he slipped an arm around her. Suddenly all she wanted was to go home but she held back her enthusiasm and joined in the last night that they would all be together.

* * *

Troy slammed the back door of the SUV shut and leaned against the warm metal. A few feet away, his dad and Charlie Danforth were chatting with the Romanavo's who had followed them to camp with the counsellors' pay checks. Troy slipped a hand in back pocket and assured himself that his payment was still there. Gabriella had stashed hers in one of the bags in the trunk without even looking at it. Finding her among the group of counsellors standing on the front steps of the main office, Troy stood up and made his way over.

"Troy, it's been a pleasure," Pete told him, holding out a hand which Troy took.

"I had a great time, thanks," was his reply and Pete turned to Gabriella.

"I want a hug," Anna demanded from behind him and Troy obliged her followed by the rest of the girls and a few manly hugs from the guys. "You and Ella have all our email addresses. If you're ever headed our way, call."

"Definitely," he told them, turning when he heard his dad call his name to see him waving them towards the vehicle. "Brie, baby, we have to go." She looked up from Hailey's shoulders and Troy saw that she was holding back tears.

"Alright, we'll see you later, okay?" Gabriella said to the others, nodding to Caleb who was rubbing Jayme's back. They waved as Troy grabbed her hand and tugged her forward.

"Bye, guys," he called before leading Gabriella to the adults.

The others called their own goodbyes before turning to repeat the same thing so that Cheyenne could leave. Climbing in the backseat, Troy angled his back so that he leaned against the shut door and window. He watched as Gabriella turned and gazed out the tinted back window as Jack pulled away from the front of the building and turned onto the gravel road that would lead them back to town before getting on the main highway. Glancing in his review mirror, Chad's dad looked at Gabriella.

"Gabs, your mom explained that she wants you to stay with us until she gets back, right?" he confirmed, and Gabriella nodded. Troy had witnessed that conversation and Gabriella had not been impressed.

"Yeah, she did. Thanks," she added quietly, twisting the string in her hoodie around her finger.

"Not a problem. Chad's excited even though he will still be working next week. He assumed both of you would take a day and visit the club," Mr. Danforth told her.

"He's right," she said before looking at Troy who nodded. "I told Sharpay Evans that I would spend the day with her and she booked the spa on a day that Taylor and Kelsi Nielsen are only working the evening shift."

"Troy, you said that you wanted to do a round of golf on the course before school started, didn't you?" Jack asked, joining the conversation.

"Yeah. I'll see which days Chad's off and if not, Ryan is normally looking for a partner." Gabriella shot him a surprised look that Troy seemed more familiar with Ryan than she realized. She knew Troy had caddied before and that the Evans were normally pretty easy going when it came to not treating him like staff but she hadn't realized how friendly they were outside of school. "What?" he asked, seeing her look.

"Nothing," she said quickly, blushing when she saw his smirk.

"Assumptions, Brie. I thought we were over them," he made a tsk tsk sound with his tongue and she rolled her eyes.

"It's not an assumption," she huffed, "I've just only seen Ryan golf with his dad." It was a bad coverup but Troy ignored it and winked.

"As long as you're not bored," Mr. Danforth noted, interjecting. Gabriella shook her head.

"I won't be. Student Government starts orientation next week for the freshmen and I offered to help Taylor and the rest of them. Plus I need stuff for back to school," she assured, kicking off her shoes and stretching her legs across the back seat so that her feet lay in Troy's lap. He barely glanced at them before pulling his iPod out of his pocket.

"Troy, I am assuming that you have shopping to do as well?" his father asked from the front and Troy nodded while untangling his headphones.

"Yeah, Brie and I will probably just go together," he said absently, scrolling down the playlist and hitting play.

The adults saw that as an end to the conversation as Troy jammed the earbuds in his ears and Gabriella pulled her hood up to serve as a cushion between her head and the window as she leaned back and closed her eyes. When Troy looked over a few songs later, she was sound asleep with her sunglasses firmly in place to block out the noon sun. Flipping through his playlist for something less obnoxious than what was playing, he paused and let his thumb hover over the button as the music for _What_ _I've Been Looking For_ hummed in his ears. Letting the device fall into his lap, he stared out the window at the scenery that flew by as they neared the border. Letting his head fall against the headrest, he let his forefinger trace patterns on the exposed skin of Gabriella's ankles that rested on his thigh.

* * *

Jack Bolton considered himself involved in his son's life. As his teacher and coach, with most of his friends on his team, it was hard to keep anything a secret. When he and Lucille had taken a much anticipated trip to Santa Monica for their twentieth wedding anniversary in Troy's sophomore year, Jack had only been at East High for an hour after his return to work before learning of the massive party that been held the weekend before in his absence. Troy, often in the heat of an argument, would yell about the lack of space or independent, but Jack knew that it came with the territory and was glad that he held such a close relationship with his son.

He knew when a test had come back with a score that didn't meet expectations or when the basketball playoffs were weighing on his mind. He could tell when Troy had argued with Chad and when he had argued with Zeke. Gabriella Montez was no different. Every teacher at East High who had had the pleasure of Gabriella and Troy in the same class knew of the personality clashes that occurred on a daily basis and Jack knew the look of fury that often followed one of their confrontations. Jack saw more of Maria Montez at East High than any other parent of Troy's classmates due to the fact that their children were frequent visitors in Matsui's office. Jack had never understood it.

He definitely didn't understand the scene in the backseat of his SUV. It was a snapshot of what he had witnessed since arriving at Maplevine to deal with Gabriella's disappearance, and Jack had every intention of forcing Troy to talk once they returned to Albuquerque and dropped off Charlie and Gabriella at the Danforth's. Troy was passed out against the window, his feet propped up on the console box between the front seats, while Gabriella's feet rested in his lap. The girl was asleep on the other side of the car and Troy's hand rested on her shin. Since Wednesday morning, the basketball coach had found his son sleeping beside her in the first-aid cabin, watched him absently twist the brunette's curls in fascination and witnessed the two share looks that screamed something Jack would never have expected given their volatile history. It resembled love. A crush at the least, although he knew Troy was too passionate about everything to hold a simple crush. Jack was baffled.

"You look like you're awfully deep in thought," Charlie Danforth mentioned, skimming over a legal brief for a case he was due to present in court next week. "It can't be about ways to convince Gabi to join the girls' basketball team; you already won that battle."

"I think I'm in shock. I know I haven't had the most in depth chats with Troy since he started here, but when he called to ask if Gabriella could drive home with us, I was preparing myself for seven hours of hell." Jack flashed another look to the back seat and Mr. Danforth followed his line of sight.

"Maybe they're just worn out. Although Chad did say that they were getting along," he mused, pushing his reading glasses further up his nose.

"Getting along is one thing, especially after living together for two months, that," Jack said, jerking his thumb to the back, "is something else."

"There's a lot between them," Charlie pointed out, "he knows almost everything about her and vice versa. It was bound to happen eventually, once they got over their incessant need to yell within each other's presence." Jack shrugged in reluctant agreement.

It wasn't that he was against it, if indeed there was something going on, it was just so unexpected. Jack and Lucille considered Gabriella the daughter they didn't have, although it had been awhile since they had seen her on a regular basis. The three families were close, but when the fighting between Gabriella and Troy began to escalate in high school, the parents of the children had began swapping family dinners for adults' nights out and quiet afternoons of coffee when Troy or Gabriella were otherwise occupied. Now Jack wondered how much he had missed in this new development between his son and the girl in the backseat.

"Lucy will be glad. I bet she starts planning a barbeque the moment she finds out," Jack joked, flicking on his blinker for the turnoff to Albuquerque.

"Mary will most likely beat her to it," Charlie added, pulling out his cell phone to see a text from Chad, asking if they would be home before his shift ended. Typing in a reply, he heard someone shift in the backseat but nothing more than Troy's iPod falling to the floor occurred.

"Do you think Chad knows?" Jack asked suddenly, keeping his voice low.

"No," Charlie said, shaking his head with a smile that often reminded Jack of Chad, "If Chad knew, the whole world would know. You may be reading too much into this, Jack."

"I'm not. I know my son and I like to think I know her," Jack replied, "and there is definitely something going on."

* * *

_AN: Thank you for all the amazing reviews. The previous two chapters were really important for me to keep realistic and maintain a purpose without drama for the sake of excitement. You're response was really sweet and much appreciated, even if I didn't message you back to say so. Now, this chapter has been written in my head for awhile, with some added parts, and it is going to serve as the turning point for a lot of things. So, say goodbye to the Maplevine staff (except Caleb) and enjoy. _

_~Van_


	16. Define Home

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Sixteen- Define Home**

_home (noun): __The place where something is discovered, founded, developed, or promoted._

* * *

Troy opened his eyes to see the SUV pulling up to a familiar house. It was two stories and fully bricked in the front with white colonial pillars lining the entrance. Sometimes, Troy wondered if Mary Danforth loved the house as much as her family. He knew every inch of the property and most of the one next door. When his eyes slid to the similar home that shared the Danforth's driveway, Troy uncurled himself from his cramped position against the door and reached a hand to Gabriella.

"Brie," he called, rubbing a hand across her upper arm. "Brie, we're home."

"Hmm," she murmured, cracking open her eyes and pushing up her sunglasses, squinting at the bright sunlight. "What?"

"We're home," he told her, unbuckling his seatbelt and searching for his sneakers on the floor. "Come on and I'll help with your gear." She fumbled with the buckle until it released. Sliding her sunglasses back on, she pulled the handle and pushed open the door.

"Is Chad home?" she asked, still groggy as she stepped onto the pavement in her bare feet and searched behind the driver's seat for her flipflops.

"I don't think so," he told her, stepping out of the car and following his father to the open back of the vehicle. He grabbed the handles on Gabriella's duffle bag and hauled it over his shoulder before grabbing her back pack. "Where to?" he asked, seeing her come around the other side.

"Umm, my house, I guess," she answered, biting her lip and looking at Chad's dad, "if that's okay. I'll just go through my stuff and only bring over what I need."

"Take your time," Charlie told her, grabbing his own bag from the back and thanking Jack before heading up the driveway to the door that was opened by Mary Danforth a few seconds later.

"Lead the way," Troy said, still looking at Gabriella. "Dad, I'll be right back."

He noticed an odd look on his father's face that usually meant there was something that needed to be discussed but would most likely be uncomfortable for both of them. Brushing it off, Troy followed Gabriella across the immaculate lawn to the front step. She rummaged in a pocket of her bags for a moment before producing a key and turning the lock. Inside, Troy set her stuff by the entry to the kitchen and turned to see her gripping her upper arm with the opposite hand while looking at the floor.

"Thanks," she said quietly and Troy frowned.

"Hey," he said, pulling her chin up with two fingers so that her eyes met his, "what's up with the weirdness." She shrugged and continued to nibble her lip. "I told you, it's only about us. We don't have to make any big declarations or get matching tattoos because no one else matters. We decided to ease into things once we got back and that's what we'll do."

"I know, it's just that your dad seems to be watching everything we do and our friends-," Troy put a finger to her lips.

"Our friends have spent the whole summer wrapped in their own lives. You can't tell me they haven't kept secrets?" Gabriella gave him a weak smile and shook her head. "So they have no right to get involved. We do our own thing, we always have. It's just that this time there are less casualties."

"I know," she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest, "I'm just being silly."

"So we're good?" he asked, feeling his stomach unclench when she nodded. "Alright, then I'm going to head home to get cleaned up. Call me when Chad gets in and I'll come over."

Troy pressed his lips to the top of her head before she unwound herself from him and opened the door. Seeing his dad looking impatient, he gave her one last smile before bounding out the door to the SUV. Climbing in the front seat, he shot the house another look before turning to his dad.

"So, you got your basketball superstar for the girls' team," Troy said, trying not to notice the way his dad was grinding his teeth as if he was about to explode with questions. "Are you still going to make Keera captain?"

"Captains are chosen in conjunction with the team after the first game, you know that," Jack said evenly and Troy frowned. Discussing basketball and team strategy was what his father loved. It was how they debated plays and positions and player talents. He had thought his father would be happy to gush over getting Gabriella without Troy having hot retorts in return.

"Which means you want it to be Brie but you don't want to show favouritism," Troy replied with a knowing smirk that Jack knew well. Sighing, he looked at his son before looking back to the road.

"Spill, Troy," Jack ordered and Troy looked startled. Before he could stutter a response, Jack interrupted. "I watched the two of you grow up. I have watched you fight constantly about everything, everyday, since your freshmen year. I don't know what started it, or if it was subtle and neither one of you really know when it happened, but I have witnessed some truly heinous things come from both of you with the sole purpose of hurting the other." Jack took a breath and loosened his grip on the steering wheel. "So, what I need, Troy, is your word that whatever is going on is true and honest and not a game."

"Dad, I don't understand what you're talking about," Troy replied, finally reacting to the sudden interrogation. He swallowed when he saw the piercing gaze his father sent him. It was the one that he got when he pulled stupid, selfish moves on the court or when he forgot to call if he wasn't coming home at night.

"I am talking about you and Gabriella. I am talking about the fact that you called me, frantic, when she went missing and rambled on about needing to fix it and apologizing for not going with her. I am talking about walking into a medical cabin and finding you in her bed. I am talking about how it took you fifteen minutes to drop her bags inside a door. You and _Brie_, Troy, that's what I'm talking about." Jack finally took a breath and looked at his pale son.

"She's not a game, Dad," Troy said harshly, unsettled by how much thought his father had put into his observations. "It's not a game."

"Alright." Jack gave a simply nod and relaxed. "That's all I ask."

"So that's it? You're not going to pry for details or try and analyze it?" the younger Bolton sounded surprised but relieved.

"Only one more question and then we'll go inside and I'll wait until you're ready to talk about it," Jack promised him and Troy finally noticed that they were parked in the driveway. "You don't call her Ella. Everyone else at that camp called her Ella, but you." Troy smiled wide and Jack knew his suspicions had been dead on.

"I'm not everyone else."

Troy left it at that as he climbed out of the vehicle and went to collect his stuff. Walking up the pathway to the open kitchen door, where his mother was waiting with a smile, Troy turned to see his father watching him with a look he had never seen. Entering the house, to the familiar smell of chocolate chip cookies, Troy was hit with a wave of realization. He wasn't at camp anymore. He wasn't going to walk outside and find Gabriella ten feet away or jog up the path and see her in the pool. He hadn't expected to feel that affected, but knowing she wasn't a shout away made him feel disconnected from himself. Hearing his mother call his name, he let her hug him but his thoughts were all over the place.

"Tired, Sweetheart?" she asked and he nodded, heading to the stairs to find his room.

"I'm going to unpack. Chad's going to call, can you let me know when he does?" he asked absently, making an effort to use Chad's name and not Gabriella's.

"Sure, we'll talk later."

Leaving his stuff on the floor, he fell onto his bed, aware that his thoughts kept coming back to the same conclusion. He was going to miss her. Now he knew what she had been thinking when he dropped her off. Home was going be harder than he had thought.

* * *

Gabriella was in the Danforth's sunny yellow kitchen when Chad came home, announcing his arrival with a hearty slam of the door and the thud of his sneakers hitting the floor. Gabriella shared a grin with Mary before biting into a warm peanut butter cookie. On the counter, waiting for the grill to be fired up, lay a tray of chicken and scallop kabobs and foil wrapped potatoes while Mary removed the husks from fresh ears of corn and piled them on another plate as she chatted with Gabriella about the upcoming school year. Turning on the stool at the sound of heavy footsteps, Gabriella retrieved another cookie to give her hands something to do. Troy's words danced in her head and she resisted jumping off the stool and running for her cell phone. Chad's appearance in the doorway brought her thoughts back to the present and she let a wide grin split her face.

"Honey, I'm home," she joked, seeing the surprised look on his face as it took a moment to process her presence.

"You're back!" Chad cried, crushing her into a hug and causing her cookie to fall to the floor and crumbled.

"Chad, breathing has become a problem," Gabriella gasped as he choked her. "And you broke my cookie."

"This is awesome. Sharpay has been hanging out in the kitchen all day and she and Taylor haven't shut up about you being home. Where's Troy?" he asked, letting her go and grabbing a cookie while his mother sighed. "What's for supper?"

"You're father is barbequing; he was waiting for you to get home. We invited the Boltons and they are coming in a half hour," Mary replied patiently to her son's questions as she continued to peel the corn. "Go get cleaned up and you can talk to Gabi when you don't smell like kitchen grease."

"Yes, Mama," Chad told her quietly and slid off his stool. "Gabster, you gonna wait here?" She looked at him, incredulous.

"Well, yeah," she told him in a tone that said the answer should be obvious, "there are cookies here."

He chuckled and left the kitchen, leaving Gabriella to pull the plate closer to her glass of milk. She took her time, breaking off tiny pieces and letting them melt on her tongue. Soaking in the smells of the homey kitchen and the carefully prepared food, she revelled in the idea of being home. Chad's dad entered the room and Mary held propped the door open as he lifted the trays of food off the counter and went to the patio to start the grill. Setting her milk on the counter, Gabriella left her stool and went to where Mary was tearing up lettuce for the salad.

"I can help," she insisted, holding the bowl in place. Mrs. Danforth shook her head with a happy smile.

"Of course not, dear, you just got home. I am going to make sure you eat a proper meal and enjoy the afternoon. Charlie told me the busy week you have ahead and you deserve a short break. You're mother should be calling this evening as well, to check in, and she'll be pleased to know that you're in one piece." Sliced carrots and cucumbers went into the bowl as Gabriella watched.

"I already told her I am fine. I finish the antibiotics in a few days and then it's done and behind me," Gabriella replied, shaking the bowl to mix up the vegetables while Mary sprinkled in the croutons. "She's home on Thursday and then maybe she will stop worrying." A doorbell rang and Mary wiped her hands on a dishtowel before turning to Gabriella.

"I'll grab the door if you can find the salad dressing in the fridge. Hopefully Chad will be down soon so we can get started," she instructed her before leaving the room.

Giving the bowl one final shake, Gabriella placed the salad on the dining room table that had already been set and added the salad dressing she had found in the fridge. Turning, she gasped, not expecting Troy to appear in the doorway. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a t-shirt, his hair perfectly styled for the first time in months. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, seeing him the way she saw him at school. Her skin tingled as he ran his eyes up her legs to the barely decent hemline of her sapphire blue sundress. She had thought of his eyes when she dressed that afternoon, not caring if it was appropriate for Chad's family. Stepping closer, she shivered as his hands grabbed her hips.

"Long time, no see," he joked lightly and she stared into his eyes, aware of how empty and silent the room was.

"It feels like it," she whispered, not trusting her voice and liking the privacy their position offered. "Where are your parents?"

"Patio with Chad's," Troy told her, lifting one hand to play with the pendent on her necklace. "I'm told Chad is upstairs?"

"Shower," she added, gripping the hem of his t-shirt. "I haven't really spoken to him." Troy stiffened and Gabriella looked at him, confused. "What?"

"My dad had a speech prepared when I got in the car this afternoon," he told her. "He made me promise this wasn't some sort of _Cruel Intentions_ game we were playing with each other. He let it drop when I told him it wasn't."

"You're not a game," she insisted and his eyes danced.

"My words exactly," he replied, brushing her lips with his. Stomping on the stairs outside the door crashed through their emotions and Gabriella froze. She heard Chad call her name from the kitchen and she stepped back just as he approached the dining room. Clearing her throat, she left the room with Troy close behind, his hand still in hers.

"Right here," she called, aware how her voice wobbled and Chad looked puzzled before his gaze dropped to their hands and the look deepened. Troy let go of her hand like hot coals and Chad seemed to realize his best friend was in his kitchen.

"Hey, man, welcome home," Chad said, shaking himself and leaving his observations unanswered. "Dad says the foods ready."

"Sweet," Troy announced, following Chad to the patio where they all retrieved plates and piling their plates with food before following the adults into the dining room.

Sitting where Mrs. Danforth directed them to, the teens spaced themselves around the adults as the salad, bread and condiments were passed around in relative silence. The atmosphere remained polite but to Gabriella it held the tension of an expected storm and then she realized what was happening. Nudging Troy's foot from under the table, he looked up from his place across from her and caught the glint in her eye as she tried to silently tell him to play along.

"Can someone pass the butter?" she asked politely, purposely naming the dish beside Troy's arm. She swore there was a collective inhale of breath around the table and Troy grinned, catching on.

"Yeah, here," he said in an overly friendly voice, "Did you want the salt and pepper too?" He selected the two shakers in front of Chad and passed them across the table. His mother gaped at him while his father chastised him with his eyes, knowing full well the two of them were messing with everyone else.

"Thanks," Gabriella said cheerfully, handing them back when she finished. There were a few moments of silence before Gabriella gave up and let go a giggle, followed by a chuckle from Troy.

"Guys, don't toy with them," Jack scolded, trying to remain stern. It was hard given how pleasant it was to see them getting along. Charlie Danforth nodded in agreement, having known the mended problems between them.

"I'm sorry, but Mom, you should have seen the look on your face. You'd think we were eating the last meal before Armageddon," Troy said, laughing until Gabriella kicked him under the table. "Ow! Brie, what the hell?"

"Troy, language," Lucille Bolton said on reflex.

"Don't rub it in, it's rude," Gabriella told him sternly, sending an apologetic smile to the women. "We're sorry; I just thought it would break the tension. We promise not to commit murder at the table."

"Gabriella Carmen," Mary Danforth chastised and Gabriella flinched at someone else using her full name, "you're mother would kill you for that kind of sarcasm."

"Wow," Troy said, grinning as he looked at Gabriella who still looked stunned, "when was the last time we got in trouble for being nice to each other?"

"You two," Chad said, pointing at both of them, "are creeping me out."

* * *

Their punishment for causing ruckus at the table, as Chad called it, was to wash all the supper dishes despite the Danforth's having a dishwasher. Up to his elbows in suds, Troy muttered obscenities regarding slave labour while Gabriella ignored him and continued to the dry the dishes and place them in the cupboards as he handed them to her. The adults had retreated to the patio with cups of coffee to discuss the brilliance of Charlie Danforth's lawn maintenance skills. Once and awhile, Troy would hear them mention his and Gabriella's name followed by amazement and disbelief. Troy rolled his eyes, knowing they had already held a similar conversation with Maria Montez when she called during dessert. Seeing that Gabriella was lost in her own thoughts, he waited until her back was turned before flicking dirty dishwater at her.

"Oh, you did not just do that?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"What are you going to do about it if I did?" he asked cheekily, invading any perceived personal space and stopping his face only inches from hers. Her dark brown eyes widened and she leaned in before footsteps caused her to jump back.

"Guys, you game for movie night later? Zeke is offering his place," Chad announced, entering the kitchen and straddling a stool while tapping out a text message on his cell phone while cradling the cordless phone from the living room between his shoulder and ear. "Everyone is off now and should be there in an hour."

"I'm game," Troy told him, looking at Gabriella who added her agreement. "Not like I have to work in the morning."

"Yeah, yeah," Chad grumbled, returning to the conversation with Zeke on the cordless phone. "Yeah, they're game. Yeah, man, both of them. Together. Acting all friendly. No, not like me and Sharpay friendly, like you and Sharpay friendly. No, I'm serious." Troy shot him an annoyed look and pointed to the direction of the hallway.

"If you're going to discuss us, do it where we can't hear you," he ordered and Chad rolled his eyes as he slid of the stool and headed back upstairs.

An hour later, after finishing the dishes and receiving a lecture on being home by curfew, the three friends climbed into Gabriella's convertible following a much heated discussion between Chad and Gabriella on his driving skills. Grinning as the engine roared to life, Gabriella ignored Chad's grumblings from the backseat. Troy admired the interior as he ran his hands over the dashboard and upholstery as he explored the car. He had only been in Gabriella's convertible once, when he had helped her drive a very drunk Chad home from a party at Jason's when he and Kelsi had dated for a span of three months in the tenth grade. Gabriella enjoyed the fact that this time she wasn't making snarky comments about disinfecting the seat after he got out.

Pulling up to the curb outside the Baylor's white stuccoed home that was only two blocks from Chad's, Gabriella killed the engine and hesitated for a minute before Troy touched the back of her hand and caught her attention. Giving him a half smile, she pushed open her door and followed Chad and Troy up the pebbled path to the house. Zeke greeted Chad with a high five and Troy with loud exclamation before slipping an arm around Gabriella's shoulders and pulling her inside and shutting the door. It didn't go unnoticed by Gabriella how Troy quickly pulled Zeke's attention and his hands away from her by shoving his jacket at the other basketball player.

"Everyone else is in the basement," Zeke informed them, "I'll be right there. Sharpay and Taylor were arguing over movies when I came up."

"Shar's here?" Gabriella asked, excited.

"Yeah, she heard that you were home and I couldn't just ignore her while we planned something. Kelsi and Ryan are down there too." With that, he disappeared into the back of the house while Gabriella waited for Troy or Chad to lead the way to the basement. She had only been to Zeke's once and it had been to trick-or-treat when she was fifteen.

"Guess it's into the lions' den," Chad said, chuckling nervously. "Weird how it's normally you two that we apply that phrase too."

"Actually, Brie and I are going to grab some drinks. You want anything?" Troy announced suddenly, calling over his shoulder while pulling Gabriella by the wrist to the kitchen down the hall.

Chad shouted an answer that Gabriella didn't hear as she was bodily forced into the spacious kitchen that smelled like vanilla. Once out of view, Troy dropped her arm and spun her so that her back was to the cupboards and his arms boxed her in. Looking down at her upturned face, he suddenly gripped her waist and set her on the countertop.

"Okay, what is happening?" Gabriella asked, parting her knees so that he fit between them, his large hands resting on the countertop.

"I miss you," Troy told her, his words rushed because he knew it would only be a few minutes before Chad came looking for his stupid drink. "I miss being able to touch you or kiss you or hold you without all these people gawking at us like we just turned water into wine. I'm sick of it but I realize that we're not ready to ease into this and answer questions at the same time. I don't think I can do both so I choose working on us before letting them in on what's going on."

"Yeah, I get that," Gabriella insisted, "I want just us, still. I'm not ready for them."

"Exactly, but I don't think I can spend the next few hours downstairs without doing this." Gripping her waist so hard that Gabriella could feel the heat of his hands through her dress, he pressed his lips to hers. Letting herself get lost in the moment, Gabriella tangled her hands in his hair and deepened the kiss. He sought entrance and her legs wrapped around his hips, limiting the space between them. Breaking apart for breath, he leaned his face into her chest while she toyed with the strands of his hair.

"Can't we just stay up here?" she asked softly, hearing laughter filter down the hall from the open basement door. "Maybe they will forget we're back."

"Unlikely to happen," he told her, stepping back and helping her off the counter.

Grabbing three random drinks from the fridge, he grabbed her hand and led her down the hall and the stairs. The big screen TV was mounted on the far wall and the two couches and handful of beanbag chairs were pulled into a circle so that everyone's back faced the stairs. Hearing footsteps, Chad looked over the back of the couch where he sat beside Taylor and caught the can of pop that Troy threw his way.

"I asked for Gatorade," Chad said, confused. "Zeke said there was blue stuff."

"Oh, sorry, didn't see it," Troy lied, finding them a vacant spot on the floor in front of the couch where Kelsi, Sharpay and Ryan sat.

Zeke was starting the DVD player and Jason was sprawled across the only cushioned chair in the room, his legs dangling over the edge and his arms tucked behind his head. He nodded to Troy and Gabriella before turning back to the TV screen. Kelsi was curled into Ryan's side and when Zeke had started the movie, Sharpay got up so that Zeke could take a seat before pulling her into the tiny space left. Gabriella noticed that most of Shar's slim body was on Zeke, and she remembered Troy saying the others' had kept secrets.

"Hey, Gabs," Taylor called and Gabriella gave her a hug before moving beside Troy who had located a pillow and placed it in his lap before leaning his back against the couch. "Call me tomorrow and we'll do something. Kelsi and I are off."

"And I booked us into Lava Springs for Tuesday so leave it open. Troy Boy, Ryan got you and Chad a tee time on the course too. Daddy said to call it business," Sharpay called from the couch and Gabriella nodded as she sat down beside Troy, who patted the pillow.

"Shar, don't call me that," Troy pleaded and Sharpay waved him off with a hand. "It's weird," he whined and Gabriella mocked his pouting by jutting out her bottom lip.

"Hailey calls you Troy Boy," Gabriella informed him with a grin and he looked surprised.

"Ugh, seriously? That girl worries me," he sighed and everyone gave them an odd look.

"Are we going to have a lot of these moments where you share your little inside jokes while the rest of us fail to follow?" Sharpay asked, annoyed that she had been discarded and forgotten.

"Probably," Gabriella told her.

"I'm going to need pictures then," Sharpay told her and Kelsi laughed quietly from beside Ryan. "Bring them on Tuesday and we'll discuss this hot West High boy."

"I never said he was hot," Gabriella protested.

"Brie-tsk, tsk- what would Jayme think about stealing her man?" Troy teased as Gabriella glared at her blond friend.

"We'll discuss it later," Sharpay declared as if she was a queen ruling her council, "I want to see this movie."

"What is it? Troy and I missed the selection process."

"_Shooter_ with Mark Wahlberg." The answer came from Zeke as he hit the right button on the remote.

"Oh," Troy said, noncommittal but sounding slightly disappointed.

"Sounds like Troy is excited," Chad muttered, ignoring the screen and watching as Gabriella picked up Troy's discarded hoodie and pulled it on before laying down with her head in his lap. The indent in his forehead deepened as Troy's fingers immediately began twisting locks of her hair into coils. "You wanted to see this movie when it was in the theatre."

"It's fine," Troy said, shrugging, not noticing that Ryan and Taylor had also picked up on the vibe coming from him and Gabriella, "It's just that we saw it in Colorado. Good movie, though, so don't worry."

"Another moment," Sharpay mumbled, "fabulous."

"Shh, Shar. Movie's starting," Gabriella said from the floor, not seeing the suspicious look in her friend's narrowed brown eyes.

* * *

The credits were rolling when Chad looked over to where his two oldest friends were sleeping. Gabriella had her face turned to the side, her hand gripping Troy's knee, while Troy had let his head fall back on the couch behind him. One hand was still in her hair and the other was curled around the smaller hand on his leg. Looking up, Chad caught Zeke's gaze.

"Dude, you were right," Zeke said, amazed. "It's unnatural."

"You see what I'm saying? No fights, no arguments. All the teasing is brushed off and they make each other laugh." Chad shook his head, turning to Taylor. "Did you know?"

"She said they were getting along. I thought she meant like me and Sharpay or you and Ryan. You know, conversation and jokes but not like this." Taylor was awed, and uncertain, knowing that Gabriella typically censored information with a purpose. If she withheld the fact that they were really good friends, she was withholding other things. Her eyes narrowed on Troy's fingers in her hair. "They're happy. Did you see that? It's like they are feeding off each other."

"You should have seen them at dinner. It was like they can read each other's minds," Chad told her, turning to Zeke. "They held out on us."

"How long do you think it's been going on?" Kelsi asked quietly.

"I don't know," Chad responded, "I don't know anything anymore. It's like they came back two totally different people. Maybe they don't even realize it."

"He'll realize it when school starts," Taylor assured them. "He never did take competition well."

Chad nodded, knowing that Taylor was right. Troy always had to be number one. It was what drove Gabriella insane most of the time; his obsession with coming in first. Chad knew that if five guys were put between Troy and Gabriella, and he truly felt threatened, he would blow through each and every one of them to get what he wanted. Distracted by the alarm on his cell phone that meant it was a half hour to curfew, Chad left his spot on the couch and nudged Troy with his foot.

"Troy, dude, wake up. We need to get home."

"Yeah, I'm awake," he replied, rubbing a hand across his face. Leaning down, he trailed a hand down Gabriella's arm. "Brie?" When she didn't move, Troy sighed and shifted so that he could unfold his cramped knees before scooping her up into his arms. "Zeke, you took her purse? I think her keys are in it. Chad's driving."

"I'm what now?" Chad wanted it clarified as he led the way up the stairs, followed by the others who were also heading home.

"You want her to drive home while she's half asleep? I'll put her in the car and then you can drop me off before going home," Troy explained, shoving his feet into his shoes as Zeke returned with his jacket and Gabriella's purse. "You can wake her up then if you can't get her inside."

"Okay, chill. I think you need to sleep in tomorrow," Chad grumbled as he dug the keys out of the purse and said goodbye before leaving the house with Troy following.

After getting Gabriella in the backseat, Troy climbed in the front until they reached his house four streets away. Grabbing his jacket as he jumped the door, something Gabriella would kill him for if she knew, he leaned on the door.

"Come over tomorrow and we'll shoot some hoops," he told Chad, seeing his dad turn the entry lights on.

"Sure, thing." He waited until Troy had disappeared up the driveway before pulling away. Seeing Gabriella still asleep in the back seat, Chad sighed as he took the main road back to his house. "Sounds like a day, Troy," he grumbled to himself, "shoot some hoops, eat some food, discuss when you fell in love with Gabriella Montez...It will be a great day."

The look on his mother's face as he carried Gabriella past the living room where his parents were quietly chatting while watching a late night movie, was one of concern and surprise. When Chad assured her that Gabriella was fine and had just fallen asleep, Mary led the way upstairs to the spare bedroom that had been given to Gabriella for her stay. Pulling off the girl's sandals and removing the single strand of beads from her neck, Mary let Chad lay her on the bed before pulling the covers up.

"You know, son," Charlie said as he met Chad on the stairs, "Jack had that same look on his face on our way home this morning. I'm not sure what you would call it, but it's the same."

Chad only nodded before continuing, dazed, down the hall to his room. There were a handful of pictures in simple wooden frames that his mother had printed and placed on his desk. One was the basketball team at the championship game the year before, another was of he and some of the staff at Lava Springs during the talent show last summer and the last one was of him, Troy and Gabriella at his sixteenth birthday. He was between the two of them and neither one looked overly pleased. Sighing, he flopped onto the bed. He wasn't jealous, or disappointed, but it felt surreal that after teasing Troy all summer about Gabriella, Chad was now on the outside. After feeling cocky and superior for noticing what neither of them had, Chad felt slightly foolish for not realizing how deep it really went.


	17. Define Secret

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Seventeen- Define Secret**

_secret (adjective): __Beyond ordinary understanding._

* * *

Gabriella locked the Danforth's door behind her as the pink convertible appeared at the curb. Grabbing the handles of her tote bag off the stone step, she threw it over her shoulder as Sharpay waved impatiently from the car. Beside her, Taylor looked annoyed as she tapped polished nails against the door and Kelsi smiled shyly from the backseat. Her flipflops slapped against the walkway as Gabriella hurried towards them.

"Change of plans," Sharpay announced as Gabriella threw one leg over the side of the car and paused. "We're going to chill at Kelsi's since it's her last full day off and we already did our school shopping. You brought a suit, right?"

"Sure, Shar, because I always remember to pack my bikini before heading to the mall," Gabriella replied sarcastically as Taylor smirked.

"Whatever," the blond sighed, killing the engine in her car and throwing open her door, "We'll just go inside and grab it."

Pulling her leg back from its awkward position, Gabriella led the way to her front door and let the three girls inside. Sliding her shoes off, with the others doing the same, she hurried up the stairs to the second floor and threw open the door to the simple bedroom. She had only unpacked the essentials the day before and the rest of her stuff spilled over the side of her opened suitcase. Taylor and Kelsi took a seat on her bed while Sharpay rested a hip against the edge of the desk, tapping her sunglasses against her upper arm in impatience. Pulling open the top drawer of her dresser, Gabriella stuck a hand inside and rummaged around until she came out with a black bikini with tiny white stars patterning it.

"Let me just change," she told them, disappearing into the joined bathroom.

"Hey, you said you had pictures from camp!" Sharpay called through the door.

"Yeah, we can take them with us. There should be a handful of CDs in the bag on the bed. See if you can find them!" Gabriella called back, emerging a moment later as she adjusted the straps on her suit. Going through the suitcase, she found a purple knitted beach coverup that hit at her midthigh. Slipping it over her head, she tossed her clothes into the tote, along with sunscreen and her sunglasses.

"Find them?" she asked, seeing Sharpay sorting through three CDs in clear cases. Taking them, she added them to her bag. "Anything else?"

"Nope, let's go," Taylor said, sliding off the bed and heading back outside.

Minutes later, Sharpay pulled her car into the empty driveway at the Nielsen house. Kelsi led the way inside and Gabriella inhaled the familiar smell of furniture polish that always lingered in the entrance way from the piano in the next room. Leaving her shoes on, she followed her musician friend to the backyard where she discarded her bag on a lawn chair with her flipflops.

"We have stuff to make smoothies," Kelsi suggested, shedding her tank top to reveal a modest red two-piece swimsuit. "Or we can just set out the fruit."

"Smoothies sound good," Gabriella told her, accepting the strawberries and mango slices that Kelsi took from the fridge. "So what's new with you guys? We always seemed to talk when you were busy."

As Kelsi chopped and added ingredients to the blender while Gabriella helped, Sharpay and Taylor filled her in on all the latest gossip that occurred in Albuquerque. Ryan and Kelsi were still going strong and working on a piece for the spring musical so that there would be one last original piece before graduation. West Side Story had been approved for the fall show and Taylor had talked Martha Cox into taking over Gabriella's Prom Committee spot as well as the class trip. The guys had been practicing with the Red Hawks thanks to Vance Evans' notorious phonecalls and Zeke's constant appearances in the Evans' house. Gabriella remained quiet, smiling as she listened to the excited chatter of her friends.

"So, I have the most fabulous ideas for Prom," Sharpay gushed, delicately sipping from her straw. "I know you don't want to be in charge but you have to help me convince Martha."

"No pink, Shar," Kelsi sighed and Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"No, silly. I mean, pink will be involved, but just as a minor thing. Gabs, what do you think about having a fairy tale theme? Wouldn't that be awesome? Not a Disney only fairytale theme, but any fairytale. That way the people who don't have dates can still participate," she sounded so excited that Gabriella grinned at her.

"You mean we'd wear costumes?" Kelsi asked, confused, but Sharpay was shaking her head.

"No, just for decorations or inspiration. Like, if you wanted to be Cinderella, we'd make sure that your entire costume was designed around the shoes. Or you could wear red and be Little Red Riding Hood. It would be fun, right?" Taylor added, having already given her support for the idea but hoping Gabriella would agree. The dark haired girl wouldn't realize it, but her approval would gain the entire senior class's support.

"I like it," Gabriella told her, nodding her head, "and before I forget, I recruited the basketball team and the cheer leaders for the committee for you."

"How?" Taylor asked, shocked because she was certain Chad had refused her suggestions to help out.

"It was Troy's idea," Gabriella said, picking out a whole berry from the bowl. "I was talking about it at camp and he mentioned that the majority of the planning would come after basketball season."

"Was this the same time that you convinced him to MC the charity event?" Taylor asked her, amusement in her eyes as she shared a look with Sharpay.

"Yeah, probably. Anyway, let Martha know." Gabriella was oblivious to the smirks as her friends leaned closer and watched her as she stirred her straw in her drink.

"You and Troy seem awfully close," Taylor put in, trying to sound nonchalant. Gabriella was quiet for a moment before shrugging.

"We are. Like Kelsi and Jason or Sharpay and Zeke." Gabriella pursed her lips and shook her head. "Shar and Zeke was a bad example, but you know what I mean. Some stuff went down at camp and we realized that what we always fought over wasn't really fair. Everything was based on assumptions or misconceptions. Plus, it wasn't fair to all of you to be in the middle."

"Actually, I think Sharpay and Zeke is a pretty good comparison," Taylor declared and Sharpay glared.

"Zeke and I are not like those two at all," Sharpay cried but Gabriella only sighed and put down her glass.

"Look, I know it's weird for us to come back best friends." Taylor opened her mouth but Gabriella held up a hand. "No, hear me out because I already had this discussion with Chad this morning. We don't expect everyone to act like the past never happened and we don't want it to make everyone act awkward around us. I know you have questions, and maybe suspicions or whatever, but for right now, Troy and I need to figure out how to make it work when school starts. Camp forced us to admit our faults and apologize and after that it was easy because everyone there saw it happen. They saw things change but you weren't there so I get that you're confused and curious. You'll see it here, and you'll understand but for right now, we want to make sure it stays strong. Can you let us do that?"

"We thought you were trying to keep it a secret," Kelsi told her softly, putting a hand on her arm and Gabriella looked down at the countertop.

"It's not intended to be prying," Taylor added, "but last night was sort of shocking because you two were so at ease with it and even though I knew you had been getting along, I expected some kind of squabbling or stiffness."

"That's how we want it. We don't want everyone to hold their breath and wait for the time bomb. It is easy for us, but we need to know that what happened at camp wasn't just about clinging to something familiar," Gabriella assured them. "We won't lie to you."

"He really got to you, didn't he?" Sharpay asked bluntly. "Something big happened in Colorado."

"You have no idea," Gabriella told her.

"Sharpay, leave it alone. We'll know when we know," Taylor said with a smile that Gabriella returned. "Besides, I want some time in the sun before my sunscreen wears off."

Mouthing a 'thank you' to her friend, she followed the girls to the patio with her drink. Laying on the chair, with the water sparkling like diamonds, she felt the tension roll off of her as the sun warmed her skin. Even the air in New Mexico was different from camp and Gabriella gave a sigh of relief at how all the pieces of her life were fitting together again. It was a cheesy comparison, but before it felt like the pieces couldn't fit together because of what lay between her and Troy, and now they were slipping into place without being forced. Slipping her sunglasses on, she turned her head to take in the girls to her right.

Kelsi in her bathing suit, a ball cap covering her hair, tapped out a stanza on the arm of her chair as she quietly hummed. Sharpay, her pink suit adorned in rhinestones that reminded Gabriella of Isabel, pulled a floppy brimmed hat over her platinum locks as she picked grapes out of a bowl. And Taylor, in a dark blue halter bathing suit who thumbed through a folder while everyone else just relaxed. They made her smile as Gabriella laid her head back and closed her eyes. This is what she had craved each time she had been with Troy and something had still been missing. Even if they didn't matter in the equation of her and Troy, it felt nice to know they were there.

* * *

Rubber bounced against pavement as Troy dribbled the ball up the half court in his backyard while Chad tried to knock the ball away. Hot and sweaty under the high New Mexico sun, both boys had stripped off their t-shirts and sweat glistened off of trained muscles. Watching his friend's eyes, Troy flicked a glance left and saw Chad follow before realizing Troy had blown by him at the sign of distraction. Groaning as the ball swooped through the net, Chad shot an easy smile at his friend's smirk.

"Here I thought you would have gotten lazy up in the mountains," Chad taunted as he flopped onto the grass and emptied a bottle of water over his head. Troy laughed as he sat beside him, his wrists dangling over his knees.

"Nah, Brie kept me on my toes. Good thing too, now that Dad talked her into playing." Troy noticed how Chad had quieted at her name and Troy sighed. "Just ask."

"You're in love with her," Chad said, watching as Troy spun the basketball between his hands, watching the lines dance.

"That's not a question." The ball stopped and its handler gripped it tight.

"I don't expect you to answer even if I were to phrase it differently," Chad shot back.

"I promised her that home, here, would be just like camp. I told her that we would be us, and everything else would fall into place." Troy looked up from the ball. "Chad, I found your other best friend. The girl from our childhood who would climb the fence to join a game or sleep in your treehouse while driving us crazy? I found her in Colorado, away from school cliques and massive piles of work. I got her to open up and do you know what happened? She's happy and I did it. Not you or Taylor or Ryan Evans. Me."

"I know," Chad said from the grass, "I saw it last night. Taylor and Sharpay and the rest only see the you-and-her part, but I saw Gabs. I will never understand how things between you guys fell apart, but I know that despite what you tell people, you were friends at one point. I'm glad that's back, I really am."

"I'm still withholding my answer to your non-question," Troy told him and Chad grinned before jumping to his feet and holding out his hands for the ball.

"Figures," Chad grumbled, bouncing the ball. "The girls probably pried the details out of her anyway."

"No way," Troy scoffed, "she's tough. Besides, she says no now."

* * *

Gabriella found Chad in the treehouse that evening after returning from Kelsi's. Kicking off her shoes, she climbed the ladder to the top, turning when she reached it to sit beside Chad and let her legs dangle over the edge. They were quiet for a few minutes and she pulled the sleeves of Troy's hoodie over her hands as the breeze rustled the leaves overhead. Chad scratched his head before looking over, letting his eyes fall on the name emblazoned on her arm.

"I talked to him while I was at his place," Chad said, finally speaking and Gabriella remained quiet as a sign for him to continue. "I got the same answer from him as I did from you."

"Do you remember your eleventh birthday?" Gabriella asked quietly, shivering slightly. "He does. Every detail."

"So do I," Chad said, not understanding what that day and the ones that followed had anything to do with her and Troy.

"You asked this morning what made me want to change things. You asked me why, after all these years of everyone trying to mediate between us, I could suddenly just push it aside and start over. That's why," she said softly, her voice insistent and pleading for him to understand. "We were by the lake in Colorado and he didn't ask or pry or tell me to calm down. He let me cry until all I wanted was someone to hold me, and that's what he did. He held me, we talked about your birthday, and I realized that if I forgave him for everything that's happened and if we could just move on, we could be back to the way we were on that day."

"But that day was-." Chad stopped at the watery smile on her face and saw her swipe at a lone tear.

"That day, I was happy until your mom told me what was going on. That's the last time, before Colorado, that I was honestly happy. That's what I want," she told him. "You want to know if I'm in love with him or if we're together or if we're playing all of you to get back at you about betting on us, but Chad, it's none of those things matter the most. I just want my other best friend back. I want the boy who would sleep in this treehouse with us and taught me to play basketball. I want the boy who made sure that his dad showed up in our classroom in the sixth grade and tell everyone that he was there for Troy and me. I want the boy who knew to find me by the lake on the hardest day of the year."

"For the record," Chad said, looping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, "I think you already have him."

"I had him in Colorado," she said softly, playing with the championship ring on his finger that was identical to the one she knew by heart, "but, I need to know I have him here."

They stayed in the tree until Mary came looking for Chad to go on a search mission, unaware that Gabriella had already returned home. They talked about the people at camp and the pictures that Sharpay had made fun of that afternoon. They talked about school and Prom and Chad's volunteered participation. Smiling as Chad recounted stories from Lava Springs, Gabriella couldn't remember the last time she had felt so close to Chad. They had grown apart as Gabriella distanced herself from Troy and it was just another thing on a long list of things that Troy Bolton had managed to fix within her.

* * *

Gabriella's day at Lava Springs was made complete when Mr. Fulton entered the kitchen to find her and Troy sharing a plate of fries that Zeke had shoved in front of them as he prepared for the dinner rush. Fulton had sputtered something intelligible before demanding lemon water from Taylor who had walked in after him. When Sharpay had entered the room, Fulton fled like a haunted man.

"Gabi, I have been looking for you everywhere," Sharpay declared, grabbing the girl's wrist and pulling her away while she desperately tried to grab another fry from the plate. Troy shot her a sympathetic look as the two girls disappeared around the door and down the hallway towards the salon. "We have facial appointments with Melinda to make up for her botched pedicure job this morning."

"Shar, it wasn't really botched. She gave me fushia pink instead of raspberry pink. Not a crisis that warrants complementary facials that will cost her every cent she made today," Gabriella protested as she shoved through the door and past the desk to a private back room.

"Gabriella?" Sharpay asked and the other girl looked at her in question, "Just suck it up and have fun."

"Fine," she said, sighing as the esthetician entered the room. "Tell me about Zeke and his attempts to woo you; I told him before I left to step it up a notch."

It was an invitation for a migraine but it was the first conversation that Gabriella had had since returning home that didn't involve her and Troy, so she took it and relaxed as Sharpay's voice drowned out the recorded CD of waterfall sounds and chirping frogs.

* * *

Troy nodded as he listened to Zeke's recap of every moment he had spent in Sharpay's presence. Drawing designs in the ketchup with his fry, Troy tried to look attentive although he knew it wouldn't matter because Zeke was staring into space and looking slightly dreamy anyway. It had been an hour since Sharpay had dragged Gabriella off to another torture session at the spa and Zeke had reached August 3 at 10:15am when Sharpay had bounced into the kitchen and asked if Zeke would show her how to make strawberry crepes. After hearing the details of what she had been wearing and how her hair had looked that day, Zeke had preceded to inform Troy of the recipe he had used and how the food had tasted _angelic_ thanks to her magical touch. Troy didn't know if he should roll his eyes or puke. Listening as they moved onto August 4 at 2:21pm when Sharpay had been swimming and Zeke had brought her iced tea, Troy silently thanked a higher being that he and Gabriella would never be like that.

"You're not listening," Zeke said, impatient as he took away the plate of food that wasn't finished. Troy's mouth fell open.

"Of course, I was," he exclaimed. "What kind of friend do you think I am? She was wearing a pink skirt and a white tank top with butterflies on it. I'm listening."

"Oh, sorry." Zeke replaced the food and continued. "And she wanted pink lemonade but wanted to make sure I used fresh lemons and not the sliced ones we keep in the fridge. Isn't it sweet that she knew we kept them in there?" Silence. "Troy?!"

"Oh, yeah," Troy said, his mouth full of fries, "Totally sweet, man."

_God, where was Gabriella?_

* * *

Gabriella was repulsed by the idea that she was standing inside East High five days before school actually started. The bulletin boards that had been stripped bare in June were now newly decorated by Taylor's student government members to reflect fall events and activities. Athletic schedules and tryout lists adorned a red and white board while the drama department's production advertisements for _West Side Story_ held the wall opposite with sparkly stars and pictures from previous shows. There was a board for the Scholastic Decathlon team and Graduation Committee but Gabriella's eyes were drawn to her newfound pride and joy- the charity ball event.

Taylor had left the board for Gabriella to do herself and that was the only reason Gabriella had come to East High early. That and her promise to the run freshmen orientation with Troy who had admitted to being bored and in need of something to do besides weed his mother's garden full of decorative gnomes. She refused to admit that he had been the selling point because she knew it was what their friends wanted to hear. Taking a step back and eyeing the completed bulletin board critically, she toyed with the cardboard gold stars that she held in her hand as she decided where to place them. The background was dark blue and accented with black silhouettes of those students who had agreed to participate in the auction, along with the rules of the event and how to get involved. In the lower right corner was a picture of Troy deliberately posing that accompanied the announcement that he would be the MC for the evening. Stapling the last of the stars, Gabriella stooped down to collect her supplies and head in the direction of the office.

"Good afternoon, Miss Montez," Principal Matsui greeted her warmly, smiling as she set down her things and approached the main desk.

"You too, sir. I'm just here to find out where the freshmen are meeting us for the tour," she explained, straightening her red and white East High tank top that flowed over the top of her decently short shorts. Red wedges were on her feet to help with the height problems associated with bulletin boards and her hair flowed down her back. "I had told Taylor that I would help Carla and Isaac."

"That's very generous of you. I believe they are in the gymnasium for the introductions and then you will break into groups. Come find me before you leave today, I have something I wish to discuss with you before Monday morning," the principal added and Gabriella frowned with curiosity. He hadn't made it sound overly promising.

Nodding, Gabriella hurried down the corridor towards the gym where she could hear voices. Pushing open the door, she waved to the other senior students and joined them on the makeshift stage that had been set up in front of the bleachers. Looking around, she wondered where Troy was before spotting him leaning against the door to his dad's office. He grinned before Carla began calling names, separating the students into groups.

"Gabi, Carla and I are taking the first two groups that include the advanced placement students and we thought you and whoever else Taylor sent could take the two groups with those interested in athletics, arts or any other interests. Does that work?" Isaac asked, handing her two lists. "You can do it separately or as partners; I don't know who the fourth leader is since Taylor just said she had found someone."

"That's fine with me. It's Troy, so we'll just start here and go over everything as we tour the school. That way we will avoid your groups," Gabriella said, scanning the list and raising her hand to wave Troy over.

"You and Troy? Bolton? Together? No way, I'll switch with Carla. We only have the new students for an hour and that doesn't include the time it would take to declare a ceasefire between you two," Isaac decided, looking like a caged animal trying to seek escape when he saw Troy approach. "Here, Gabi, go get your students and I will deal with Troy." He looked even more anxious when he noticed that Gabriella was laughing.

"I miss something funny, Brie?" Troy asked, amused by the twitch in Isaac's face as the other boy tried to find his partner to help with the assumed impending doom. "Isaac, you anticipating an axe murderer or something?"

"Isaac fears that we will scar the freshmen with a repeat performance of the cafeteria argument last winter," Gabriella explained with a sympathetic glance in Isaac's direction.

"The one where you dumped a chocolate milkshake over my head?" Troy queried, and chuckled with humour when Gabriella nodded. "That was definitely not one of our finer moments. Were you aware that the cafeteria ladies now have a Code Chocolate alarm?"

"Really? We'll make sure to inform the rookies of that," Gabriella said, a finger on her chin as she thought. "Anyway, Isaac, can we have the lists so we can get started?"

"But.....you.....and.....you," the boy seemed to be hyperventilating as he moved his finger back and forth between the two, "you....talking.....laughing.....not.....but.....both....." Troy finally held up a hand to stop the flow of nonsense.

"We are aware that it is a miracle close to the second coming and all of that," Troy informed him, plucking the list of freshmen from his frozen hand and handing it to Gabriella. "Now, let's get this over with."

"You're actually going to work together?" Isaac asked, his tongue having difficulty stringing all the words together.

"Yes, you have nothing to worry about. Me and Brie," Troy assured him as he threw an arm around Gabriella and tensed when he couldn't do more, "we're buds now. Tight as thieves."

"Thick as thieves," Gabriella corrected softly and he frowned.

"Whatever. The kiddies are safe with us."

"Oh, no they're not," Isaac muttered as he walked away from the bizarre scene, "now instead of being in danger of obtaining psychological scars, they're in danger of being corrupted." Stepping beside Carla who was passing out maps of the school, he saw her turn her head when she caught the last few words of his mumblings.

"What happened over there?" Carla asked. "You look traumatized."

"I am," he assured her, looking over his shoulder to see Troy slide his hand into the back pocket of Gabriella's shorts and pull her closer. "I think Hell froze over during summer vacation and we missed the memo."

* * *

Troy smiled at one of the freshmen students as he held open the door to the theatre that was situated across from the main office. When no one was looking, he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw before banging his head against the door twice. It was Wednesday and only five days stood between summer break and school, yet where was he? Shooting hoops? Golfing? Hanging as Chad's? Kissing Gabriella senseless? No. He was plastering on fake enthusiasm and showing a group of nervous ninth graders around East High. Why? Chad had asked that the night before and Troy had told him he was bored and trying to escape landscaping duty at home, but the garden gnomes were only part of the reason. The other part was standing thirty feet away on the auditorium stage in shorts that drew his eyes up her legs. They were going to discuss those shorts later, he decided, seeing a group of freshmen jocks chuckle and share lewd comments between each other while Gabriella explained the production season at East.

"Brie, we're running out of time," Troy called out, catching her attention.

"Alright, so how about we go out into the main foyer? You can take a glance at all the announcements and boards and we'll answer any questions you may have." Gabriella smiled warmly and jumped off the stage, cutting a path through the students until she reached Troy who held the door open again.

Following the group into the corridor again, Troy leaned against the wall as they wandered around the displays set up for the first week of school to attract new members to teams and inform returning members about important dates and any changes. Pushing away from his position, he walked to the board that had caught his eye earlier. It was for the charity auction and he remembered Taylor bribing Gabriella with freedom to decorate it if she would help with orientation. He had known Gabriella had an eye for design, but he rarely saw her work. It was tasteful and classy yet bold enough to draw attention.

"I'm glad to see you've decided to diversify your interests this year," a voice beside Troy interrupted his thoughts. Turning, the teen fought the urge to groan.

"Mr. Matsui, how was your summer?" Troy asked politely, searching the area for Gabriella to rescue him from the only other teacher more obsessed with basketball than his dad.

"It was lovely, however, it has come to an end and I was hoping for a moment of your time before you leave today. I ran into your father and he mentioned you were here," the man explained.

"Is there a problem?" Troy asked.

"That depends on your cooperation with Miss Montez this year," the teacher replied, warning and seriousness in his tone. "She too will be joining us after the new students leave."

"You need me and Brie? I can get her now, if you want?" Troy told him, turning to find the familiar head of dark hair. "Does she know you're looking for her?"

"Uh, well, yes, we did discuss it earlier," the principal told him absently, aware how easily Troy had responded to the mention of Gabriella. His earlier conversation with Jack Bolton weighed on his mind as he remembered his old colleague saying that the lecture he was prepared to give would prove to be unnecessary. He had thought Jack was protecting the kids but perhaps Jack was aware of something he was not.

"Discuss what?" Gabriella breathed, squeezing in between Troy and Mr. Matsui as the freshmen followed the newly arrived Taylor out of the hallway and back to the gym. "Hey, sir, can we do that meeting thing now because I told Coach Bolton that I would make sure Troy got home for supper at the Danforth's before Lucy comes down here and hauls him out by his ears."

"Oh, of course," Mr. Matsui replied, hoping his voice didn't portray the amount of shock he was feeling. It would be unprofessional for students to know that he dreaded moments when he knew the two of them would be in the same room. "Well, perhaps we should do this in the office?"

"Oh, Brie, it's happening again," Troy realized, shielding the smirk that threatened detention before the year even started. "It's the Look of Doom." It was the name he had given the expression all the adults in their lives had shown them during the last week.

"I was prepared to inform you of the new behaviour standards and consequences passed by the Albuquerque School Board this summer that would most likely affect the two of you, given your history in my office," the principal informed them, still uncertain whether the camaraderie between them was a ruse or genuine. The latter seemed like a pipe dream. "It would eliminate the number of chances I have given you in the past and reflect your conduct on your records, given the first instance of violent or inappropriate behaviour."

"We understand," Gabriella said, serious as she nodded.

"Do you really? Because I would hate to see your impulsive behaviour jeopardize your future." His gaze ventured back and forth between the two familiar faces of the schools most promising and exasperating students. "Your father seems to think that this year will be different. I pray that he and the last five minutes of this conversation prove that prediction to be true."

"We appreciate your concern, sir, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." Troy tried to ignore the look Gabriella sent him at the polite response.

"I look forward to seeing that happen."

Sufficiently out of anything else to say, given the extreme contradiction to how he had expected the discussion to go, Mr. Matsui straightened his tie and buttoned his suit jacket. The two students in front of him shared an expression of amusement and understanding, while giving him the expression that they held secrets locked inside their heads. Nodding once, he left them in by the display and left for his office across the hall. Stopping with his hand on the knob, he turned to say something else but was met with a sight that stripped him of all the foresight he had thought to have.

Troy Bolton had his arms around Gabriella Montez's hips, his hands resting inside the back pockets of her shorts so that her pelvis was thrust against his, and he was smiling into her face as she tilted her head up. Seeing them laugh, Mr. Matsui turned, knowing he had invaded a personal moment not meant to be shared. In his head, the principal continued to label them by their first and last names so that there could be no confusion as to who was in the hallway. His worst discipline nightmare for the last three years, in the matter of minutes, threatened to become his worst nightmare for the complete opposite reason.

Maybe he should have taken Jack seriously when the coach suggested including East High's PDA policy.

* * *

Gabriella was desperate. Returning to her room after breakfast on Friday morning, she sprawled across her bed and tried to erase the interrogation session that had just occurred with her mother. The questions had been asked at rapid fire speed without a chance to breathe or think between answers. She asked about the people at camp and the kids and the pool and the paperwork. She had grilled Gabriella about getting lost and the overnight trip and the pictures she had found printed on Gabriella's desk. She asked about Troy and Taylor and school and Chad. Gabriella couldn't even remember half of the conversation as she had been too focused on trying to catch up with her mother's train of thought. Only when she had begged to go upstairs and get dressed had Maria relented and gotten up from the table to do the dishes. Still reeling, Gabriella's eyes fell on her cell phone. Picking it up, frantic fingers danced across the keys until a familiar number was dialled and Troy picked up.

"I need help," Gabriella burst out without waiting for a greeting. "She's driving me crazy. She's been home less than twenty-four hours and she won't stop with the questions and the queries and inquisition. Save me."

"Mom's home today," Troy offered.

"Oh, please, find a way to get her here. Anything. Coffee, tea, gossip about us..." Gabriella trailed off as Troy's laugh wafted over the connection.

"You up for school shopping? If I can get mom there to distract Maria?"

"Anything. I'll do anything," Gabriella insisted, hearing her mother's voice call up from downstairs.

"Give me five seconds." The he hung up.

Closing her eyes, Gabriella deliberately counted to five. Her eyes flew open at the sound of the downstairs phone ringing before she reached six. Creeping to the edge of the stairs, she listened as her mother chatted with Lucille Bolton, and heaved a sigh of relief when her name was called again.

"Gabi? Would you mind if Lucy came over for a bit? I know we were talking but-,"

"Oh, no, Mom, definitely get her to come over. You know, I still need to do some school shopping, so maybe I'll do that while you guys chat." Gabriella didn't even wait for answer before flying to her room and throwing on clothes, grabbing her keys and wallet, and tripping and stumbling in her rush to reach the bottom of the stairs and the waiting front door.

Ten minutes later, she was pulling into the Bolton's driveway to wait for Troy. She let her eyes soak him in as he pulled open the door to her car and climbed in beside her, throwing an amused look in her direction. Slipping his aviators into place, he pulled off the sunglasses that she had set in her hair and shoved them on her face.

"Rough morning?" he drawled.

"Doesn't matter now; I've escaped. It's the last real day of summer vacation and I want to have fun," she told him, relaxing into the seat as she threw the car into reverse.

"Exactly, so say 'thank you, Troy'," he teased, placing both hands behind his head as the wind tugged at his hair. "Oh, and I refuse to shoe shop for more than an hour."

"Thanks, Troy, but I want new heels and something awesome for Monday, so we will shop for as long as it takes. If you're good though, I'll help you earn back Man Points by pretending to listen to your opinion on new court sneakers," Gabriella tossed back with ease.

"Fine. But I also want to go to Hollister," Troy told her and Gabriella snorted.

"Sure. We'll pretend that us going there was all your idea." Turning into the parking lot of the mall, she locked the car and led the way to the entrance, feeling a shiver run up her spine as Troy automatically slipped his hand into hers.

* * *

Pizza boxes were piled on the table in the corner of Chad's basement, next to the collection of drinks and empty cups. The DVDs were spread out on the floor in front of the entertainment unit along with a handful of bowls filled with candy and treats. On the couch and floor, legs entwined and pillows shared, the haphazard group of friends ignored the video that had been muted and simply talked and joked as they tried to forget that summer was over.

"I say we boycott tomorrow," Jason declared, pumping a fist in the air while everyone else shook their heads at him.

"Busted dreams, dude, busted dreams," Zeke sighed, stretching his arm along the back of the sofa where Sharpay's head rest.

"I have the best outfit for tomorrow. Kels, are you wearing that skirt you bought when we went shopping?" Sharpay asked, leaning across Zeke for the bowl of gummy worms.

"Only if Taylor wears that awesome dress she got," Kelsi teased and Taylor rolled her eyes.

"We'll see. Gabs, what about you? We didn't get to go shopping with you," Taylor mentioned, seeing Gabriella try to contain her laughter.

"Next time. I think I traumatized Troy on Friday," she explained, patting his arm.

"Couldn't keep up, man?" Chad teased and was hit in the face with a pillow.

"I can't believe how fast this summer went," Kelsi said, leaning into her boyfriend's side. "I thought tomorrow would never come and yet it seems like school only ended yesterday."

"I for one am excited for tomorrow," Sharpay declared and received several worried looks in return. "Oh, come on, you're not excited to see the look on Darbus' face when these two walk in all buddy-buddy?"

"Alright, she wins that one," Chad admitted, looking thoughtful. "Tell me you two have a plan? A grand entrance, perhaps? Some lines you have rehearsed?" Troy laughed and looked at his impatient friend.

"Dude, we're just going with the flow. Letting it happen. It's worked until now," Troy replied, nonchalant as he purposely pulled Gabriella onto his lap. "See, natural. It's all in the moment."

"You totally have something planned, don't you?" Sharpay eyed Gabriella who winked.

"You heard him. Subtlety, Shar. It's an art." Gabriella grinned.

"Do you think she'll insist on assigned seating this year?" Ryan asked, sounding hopeful for the opposite since the letters E and N were not remotely in the same vicinity.

That had been Ms. Darbus' plan the previous year after Gabriella and Troy had gotten into a debate over the gel in Troy's hair. If the letters E and N had been far apart last year, letters B and M were even more so. If the sheer number of students between Troy and Gabriella didn't stop the yelling, Ms. Darbus had held failed hopes that Chad, Sharpay, Ryan and Taylor would. They hadn't and Ms. Darbus had rearranged the seats to put every other student in the class between Troy and Gabriella during homeroom. Remembering, Troy smirked as he looked at Ryan who always picked up on more than people gave him credit for.

"Oh, I'm planning on it," Troy told them and for the first time, Taylor understood what Isaac had meant on Wednesday during his rant about the corruption of the freshmen. She hadn't followed it then, thinking that perhaps the boy was just slightly off in the head, but seeing the look on Gabriella and Troy's faces, she got what he meant.

East High had no idea what was coming.

* * *

_AN: So the response to the last chapter was way more than I had hoped for considering it was a transition chapter. I didn't expect for it to incite that much commentary, so thank you! Now for this chapter, technically it's hear as filler but filler can also serve a purpose so even if you dont see it now, it has connections for the next few upcoming chapters. To answer one question that has come up for the last several chapters is about Troy 'making Gabi his GF'. I hope this works towards this but if not, I ask for patience. Remember that they don't want big declarations and theyre not the type to need a formal request or label, yet. No, they are not officially together but there is enough between them that they know where they stand. Remeber that when you're getting frustrated with me. _

_Thanks!_

_~Van_


	18. Define Possessive

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Eighteen- Define Possessive**

_possessive (adjective): __proving ownership or possession as in the use of words such as 'mine', 'his', or 'hers'._

* * *

Gabriella was, for all her beauty and wit and charm, a geek at heart and despite being slightly apprehensive about starting her senior year at East, she couldn't contain her excitement as she pulled into her assigned parking spot in front of the school on Monday morning. Throwing open the door, she pulled her oversized bag from the backseat of her car while Taylor did the same. Pausing for a moment, she quickly scanned the parking lot for other familiar vehicles. Chad's SUV had still been in the driveway when she left for Taylor but Sharpay's pink convertible gleamed in the spot across the aisle and Troy's battered truck sat beside it. Linking arms with Taylor, the two girls climbed the steps towards the crowded entrance.

Inside, the school was a stark contrast from orientation the week before. Students were clumped and grouped against the walls and leaned against doorways. The noise level was atrocious and Gabriella grinned and squeezed her friend's arm when she returned the smile. Returning students and freshmen nodded or waved to them, calling greetings or hellos. Pulling her schedule from her bag, Gabriella let Taylor pull her along the corridor towards their lockers.

"Damn, girl!" Sharpay called, pushing away from the red and white lockers in the senior wing of the school and skipping towards the pair who had just turned the corner. Kelsi followed. "Who are you trying to impress?"

"It is that bad?" Gabriella asked, anxiously tugging the short hem of her flowy black tube top that was cinched in at the waist with a patent belt. It was short enough to expose a couple of inches of her short white shorts. Her new peeped toed heels that had eaten a decent portion of her summer paycheck raised her height three inches and made her level with Sharpay. Her hair hung down her back with the front pieces pulled back to her crown, adding height. Sharpay finished her analysis and smirked.

"You never let me dress you like that," Sharpay pointed out, her lower lip pouting but her eyes laughing as her friend squirmed, self-conscious. "Has Troy seen you yet?"

"Troy was with her when she bought it," Taylor piped up and Gabriella glared at the traitor. Sharpay's smile grew.

"Just tell me if it's too much? He told me that it was fine but now I'm worried," Gabriella confessed, pleading with her friends to drop the teasing and be honest.

"You look hot, Gabs. You're going to make an entrance like never before," Taylor assured her for the sixth time that morning. "And it will also be a tardy one if we don't hurry. Come on."

Tossing what she didn't need into her locker, Gabriella grabbed Sharpay's arm and the foursome made their way to homeroom. She tried to ignore the deliberate stares and sleazy looks that boys sent their way, telling herself they were looking at Sharpay in her hot pink dress or Taylor in her pencil skirt and blouse. Locating the familiar door, Gabriella took a deep breath before following Sharpay inside.

"Good Morning, Miss Evans," the drama and senior homeroom teacher exclaimed in her dramatic voice as she looked up from the sheaf of papers in her hand. "And Miss Montez, Miss McKessie and Miss Nielsen as well. I hope your summer was blissful?"

The girls mumbled suitable answers as they took in the students already present. Zeke and Jason were at the back of the room, their chairs tipped back against the wall. Ryan was near the front, talking to Martha Cox and he waved Kelsi over when he saw her. Sharpay took the desk in front of Zeke while Taylor sat in front of her. Gabriella paused before placing her bag on the seat beside Taylor and sat on the desk's surface so that she could turn and join the conversation.

* * *

Troy turned when he heard Chad call his name from down the hall. He had driven to school early that morning so that he could go over the tryout schedule with his dad. Although basketball wasn't running tryouts until the following week, Troy wanted to run optional practices for the days before to find out who was returning and who wasn't. Slamming his locker door shut, he turned his phone to silent mode as he waited for Chad to reach him.

"Dude, did you talk to your dad about using the gym during free period?" Chad asked, throwing his bag in his locker and taking nothing out. Cradling his basketball under his arm, he kept stride with Troy as they walked in the direction of homeroom.

"Yeah, and he said that's fine but we have to include the girls until full teams are decided," Troy told him, stealing the ball from his friend and bouncing it against the ceramic tile. "And Bolton is heating it up during this final match with West High. He intercepts the ball, dribbles down the court and oooooooh! Ball is taken by the opposing team," Troy cried as he and Chad reinacted familiar plays while they walked the hall.

"And Danforth has the point!" Chad said in a practiced announcer's voice. "He sees Bolton, but spins to find an opening. He takes the shot but-" The orange, blurring sphere traded hands again.

"Bolton has the ball again and the clock is running out!" Troy didn't notice that Ms. Darbus' door was open and the class could hear their voices echoing in the hall. "He can't get the shot off and Danforth is all over him-," Troy looked towards the door and caught a pair of laughing brown eyes, grinning he took a step towards the door while looking at Chad. "-so he fakes left and goes right when Danforth takes the bait, and he's one step, two step and he passes the ball to East High's new female Captain-to-be, Miss Gabriella Carmen Montez who catches the ball and makes the point!"

"And the crowd goes wild because Montez has just beaten Bolton's record for the number of game points during a championship game," Gabriella added, forgetting where she was as she slid off the desk with the ball and bounced it before sending it over Troy's head as he tackled her around the waist and swung her in a circle. "And Montez calls foul for unfair interruption of the shot!"

"And the referees huddle to make their decision and they declare-" Troy looked over her shoulder to Sharpay's emotionless face while still keeping his arms around Gabriella, "-No foul!"

"Tough call," Chad said in a disappointed voice, spinning the ball on one finger.

"Bolton! Montez!" Miss Darbus seemed to choke on the names as they registered and Troy finally noticed the teacher standing on the makeshift stage for drama class, her hair in its usual whispy birds nest and her glasses threatening to fall off her nose and hang her by the beaded and sparkling chain that kept her from losing them. Quickly recovering and settling her shawl around her shoulders, she barked again. "Seats! Now! You too, Mr. Danforth."

"What?" Sharpay cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "That's all we're going to get? I was expecting something more reactionary than that. I mean, for Pete's sake, he's manhandling her while she giggles instead of her usual threat of castration." Sighing, she crossed her arms when the teacher continued to read the piece of paper a new student had brought. "That was just disappointing." On cue, Miss Darbus looked up to see that Troy was still twined around Gabriella's slim frame.

"Mr. Bolton, please remove yourself from Miss Montez this instant and find your seats. Miss Montez, I suggest this time you use the seat the carpenter created with the desk."

Troy grinned as Gabriella's cheeks flushed pink and she slinked in her seat. His eyes traveled up the black shorts to see that her position had caused them to ride up even further. Tearing his eyes away before he lost control of his actions, he looked around the room. His eyes landed on one of the football players he remembered Gabriella tutoring the year before and his eyes narrowed as he noticed the guy give her the same sweeping glance that he had just completed. Clenching his fists under the table, he watched as Gabriella made notes to herself in her notebook, oblivious to the looks the male population in the class was sending her.

Feeling his throat close, he sank further into his seat and set his most vicious glare at the back of the football player's head. No one stared at Gabriella like that except him. No one was allowed to stare at her like that. Wasn't it obvious that they-. Wait, was it obvious? They hadn't wanted it to be obvious. _But that was before strangers began mentally undressing her in homeroom_, he told himself.

Behind him, Chad scribbled a note and passed it to Taylor. She gave him a curious look before opening it and, remembering their earlier conversation, smiled when she read it: _It's already happening. He looks ready to explode._ Looking up, Taylor saw Troy clenching his jaw as his fingers drummed heavily on the desk. Following his gaze, it didn't stop on Gabriella but Peter Fuller from the football team.

Troy was jealous.

* * *

Gabriella stormed into her political science class on Tuesday morning and let her messenger bag drop into an unceremonious heap before slamming herself in the desk behind Taylor. Sharpay was a few steps behind her but her entrance proved much more elegant than her friend's. Taylor set down her pen on the open page of her binder and turned in her seat to take in Gabriella's stormy eyes and heated cheeks.

"She's angry," Taylor observed, looking at Sharpay for confirmation. The blond shrugged and pulled out a pink pen and a nail file.

"Yup," she replied, her lips drawing out the words as she attacked the rough edge of her pinkie finger.

"Why is she angry? It's only second period, she's only mad this early in the morning when she fights with Troy in homeroom," Taylor pointed out, watching Gabriella seethe at the name. "They were all chirpy and happy in homeroom."

"Yeah, but then we went to the bathroom to check my hair and Amy Holtz was in there with her cheerleading sidekicks discussing how Troy needs to find a girlfriend because it's senior year and there's no way he can go all year being a single captain." Sharpay flipped her hair over her shoulder as Gabriella drummed her fingers loudly against the table top. "Naturally, Amy thinks it will be her because she's cheerleading captain and she knows how to treat a real man."

"Oh, Gabs, you know she's only being like that because Troy never gets seriously involved with anyone further than a first or second date and she doesn't like the idea of you being basketball captain," Taylor assured her obviously distressed friend. "Let it go. You know if you told him, he would just laugh it off."

"What if he's just laughing me off, Taylor?" Gabriella snapped. "What if he really does want her outrageously large boobs and tight butt in her slutty little cheerleading outfit as she cheers him on? What if he wants the blond bimbo?"

"Hey!" Sharpay cried, head coming up and distracting her from her delicate task of evenly shaping her cuticles.

"Not you, stupid. Amy, the little tramp." Gabriella bit her cheek and sulked as the teacher began roll call.

She was not jealous because there was nothing to be jealous of. She was happy with her body and who she was but she hated the way Amy had suggested that Troy was some kind of sex machine who couldn't get enough. She hated that the girl had no idea to his personality or what he wanted, she just assumed that he would want her. It made Gabriella cringe to think of them together. She and Troy may not be definable by the normal standards of high school, but she did feel some sort of attachment to him and to have that severed by Amy Holtz would be like being stabbed in the gut. Her hands felt like ice as she tried to focus on the class while Sharpay and Taylor talked like she wasn't in the room. She didn't want to feel this way. Troy wasn't an object to lock away from everything female, but something in Gabriella threatened to snap.

* * *

Leaning his forehead against the cool cement of the locker room wall, Troy tried to block out the voices of his classmates as they dressed for their PE class on Tuesday. Locker doors clanged as metal banged against metal and Chad's basketball bounced twice before he shoved it in his locker. Troy always found it ironic that Chad chose to leave the ball where it belonged during the only class where it was guaranteed that the teacher wouldn't care. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and cracked his neck as he rolled it on his shoulders.

"Hoops, you know what's on the table for today?" Chad called, leaving the guys behind to join Troy at the door.

"Track. The season starts next week so Dad is teaming up with the coach to recruit the highest scores to register for the city finals. You and Brie will be in your element," Troy told him, leaning his back against the wall and crossing his arms.

"Bolton!" someone called and Troy lifted his head to acknowledge Dylan Sanders from the soccer team. "Is it true what Pete Fuller is saying? That Gabriella Montez is the girls' basketball captain?"

"She's trying out for the team. Captains won't be decided for awhile," Troy replied diplomatically, narrowing his eyes. He didn't like the smile on soccer forward's face.

"You know as well as the rest of us that she's a shoo-in. Your dad's been on her case since the year before last," Dylan scoffed and even Chad stiffened at his attitude. _Good_, Troy thought, _at least I know the creepiness isn't in my head_. "I heard she got to know Caleb Brenner from West High pretty well this summer, you think they're together?"

"They're not," Troy answered sharply, standing up from the wall and glaring at Dylan. "But I wouldn't be so quick to assume you have a chance."

"Since when did you care?" someone else asked and Troy tensed, his eyes flashing. "You had your chance all these years with Danforth as an in and you decided not to take it."

"Dude, just leave it alone," Jason advised, joining Troy and Chad in front of the door. "She's not going to acknowledge you."

"What makes you so sure, Cross? She's a hot piece of-," he shut up when Troy slammed a hand into the wall beside his head. "I'm just saying that she'd be entertaining; different from the cheerleaders or the girls that drool over us. Us guys, we need something stimulating, surely you understand that."

"How about you say nothing? That seems like a better idea to me," Troy told him in a dangerously low voice before Zeke appeared and steered him out of the room and into the open gym.

Taking a deep breath, Troy tried to relax as he shot Zeke a grateful look before letting his eyes roam the vast area. He found her in the bleachers, chatting with one of the girls from the track team as she finger combed her hair into a ponytail. She looked up when she felt his gaze and offered him a wide grin before responding to her bleacher mate. He felt all the tension roll off him as he soaked in her presence and reminded himself that they had the next two periods together as well. When his dad blew the whistle, Troy shivered as Gabriella wedged herself into the spot directly in front of him. Gently squeezing her waist, he felt her relax into him.

"Alright, so we are going to do be doing some of the track events for today to determine who is eligible to compete at the city finals next week. It's a quick season unless your time qualifies you to advance," Jack explained, letting his gaze fall on the faces of the known track stars. "When we get to the bleachers, find a seat until we call your name."

Twenty minutes later, Troy was leaning over the rail that separated the stands from the track, yelling encouragement for all he was worth as Gabriella ran the 400 meter sprint. Chad was yelling from his position on the track and Zeke and Jason were on either side of Troy as she reached the 250 meter mark at least ten seconds ahead of the two other girls in her group. People around them stood, surprised, at the passion with which the basketball team members were hollering at the girl.

"Come one, Brie, it's all you!" Troy yelled, letting his eyes slide to his dad for a minute who wasn't even watching the stopwatch.

"Gabster, you've got time, go for it!" Chad called, watching the large field clock at the far end that read the time. He had been watching and he knew she was way under the maximum time for qualifying.

"You got it, Baby, it's yours!" Troy told her, his voice carrying through the stands as he let the endearment slip through his lips without noticing. "You've got this!"

He watched as she passed the finish line and bent over, her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Chad was shouting and pounding a fist in the air as Jack called a time to the track coach whose face lit up in awe as he turned towards Gabriella. Troy heard an exchange of times and saw the shock on her face as her time was called out. She was only five seconds shy of the East High record that had been held for fifteen years. Seeing her look for him, he called her name and gave her a thumbs up as his name was called to join Chad at the starting line for the 200 meter dash trial.

"I'm so proud of you," he told her softly as she collected her water bottle from the track where he was getting into position.

Flashing him a tired smile, she plopped down on the grass by Jack and the coach to watch. Focusing on the finishing point, Troy found his mind tripping over itself in an attempt to not follow her with his eyes. Hearing the starting shot, he took off, recalling how many times he had done this exact same thing with her at camp. Grinning a ridiculous smile that no one else could see as he ran, Troy pushed himself to the limit. Finishing just behind Chad, he felt two slim arms wrap themselves around his hips as he gulped water.

"I'm proud of you too," she told him.

Letting his free hand rest lightly on hers as he poured the remaining water over his head, he ignored the horribly disguised whispers and murmurs as people watched them. Obvious or not, official or not, he was going to make sure no one touched her but him.

* * *

It was like the talent show all over again, Gabriella thought as she watched Troy pace the narrow space between their desks in the vocal class on Wednesday afternoon. He would stop and look at her, then look around at the known theatre groupies or choir participants, and then glare at her as he resumed his pacing. Sighing, she smoothed the hem of her denim skirt over the tops of her thighs.

"Don't tell me to chill. Or relax. Or that this is just like camp," Troy told her and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You have that look on your face that says you're going to tell me to calm down."

"Fine, I won't say it, but can you at least sit down? You're making me dizzy." He groaned and complied as Chad entered the room looking just as freaked out. "Not you, too, I can only take one nervous guy at a time."

"This is your fault," Troy growled from his seat and Gabriella swung her head from Chad to him, looking exasperated. "You and that stupid talent show. Brie, all these people perform and sing on a regular basis. They do musicals or choir or have garage bands that have a hope in going somewhere. I'm just the basketball guy- we're just the basketball guys- who like to entertain our showerheads and occasionally small children who don't know the difference."

Gabriella tried not to roll her eyes and sound patronizing. She had had the same conversation with both of them the night before and that morning in homeroom. She had talked to Troy during chemistry and Chad during math and both had yet to actually calm down and be the strong, confident guys she knew from the basketball court. Taking a breath, she looked at both of them.

"I know the difference. I know that both of you are new to this but I would have told you to pick something else if I thought you would be humiliated. Troy, you should know that from Karaoke Night." She focused on her other friend who had his head on the desk. "Chad, I keep saying this to Troy, and now I am saying to you. You are not just the basketball guys. You are guys who play basketball remarkably well. This is called expanding your boundaries. Taking on a challenge. Learning something new. This is getting out of the damn box you let people in this school put you in because they know nothing else about you." Her voice was rising as she spoke and Troy was slightly amused at how heated she was getting. "So, you two are going sit here and sing and you're going to enjoy it!"

"Um, Gabs? Could you maybe calm down a little? People are staring." Chad's eyes flitted around the room that was suddenly quiet. "I think you freaked them out."

"Good. Maybe they listened to my speech and will try out for basketball next week," she snapped, slightly embarrassed that she had drawn that much attention.

"That's our girl," Troy told her breezily, "Breaking hearts and the status quo."

"I don't break hearts," she declared, crossing her arms. "Is this about Dylan asking me for tutoring help because I already told him I'm busy and recommended Martha."

"Sanders?" Troy growled, "Sanders asked you to tutor him?"

"Well, yeah, he's in our physics class and he's not the brightest crayon out there," she told him, pulling out her notebook as the teacher breezed into the room. Glancing back at Troy, she saw that he was gripping his pencil in two hands as if strangling it. Confused but not about to ask, she nudged his foot with her shoe until he looked up. "Troy, if you break the pencil, I won't give you another one."

* * *

The cafeteria was crowded during the lunch hour on Thursday when Troy dropped his tray on the table, startling those already seated. Ripping the foil cover off his yogurt, he stirred its contents viciously without acknowledging the worried looks of his friends at the table. Gabriella was on the track running sprints so that she would have time to join the yearbook committee meeting after school. Kelsi and Ryan were at the end, going over a rehearsal schedule to give out during the musical editions the next week and Zeke was explaining the exact calorie content of his cupcakes to Sharpay as she swiped her finger across the icing. Taylor had a chemistry book open as she helped Chad with his review assignment, but Chad was watching Troy with an amused smirk.

"Who was it this time?" he asked, taking one of Taylor's fries as she glanced at Troy.

"Masters," Troy mumbled, still stirring the yogurt as he glowered in the direction of the footballers' table. "Since when do the jocks openly hit on her? I can understand the debate team, and her scholastic decathlon friends, and even the drama club members or the track team, but aren't jocks supposed to be scared of girls with brains? Shouldn't they be running away?"

"You're not running," Sharpay pointed out, though Troy hadn't even realized she was listening. "Besides, it's probably those shorts and heels from Monday."

"Shar, not helping," Taylor told her, seeing how Troy's fist clenched the spoon tighter. "It's not the shorts. It's the fact that they see her being friends with the basketball team instead of fighting with you and they figure that maybe they are not so far from her type as they thought. You guys used to fight all the time and she usually used your jock status against you, so now that she's not voicing constant hatred towards the idea, they think they have a chance."

"Great," Troy growled, eyes darting around as he took in all the different tables that held potential suitors for Gabriella. "First, Fuller, then Sanders and now Masters. You know what the worst part is? She doesn't even notice."

"You expect her to notice?" Sharpay asked, sounding incredulous, "It's Gabs, the girl barely glances in the mirror when she goes to the bathroom. As far as she's concerned there are far more likely girls to catch the guys' attention than her."

"Dude, you can't control what other guys do," Jason told him, taking his eyes off the cheerleaders for a moment to make eye contact.

"But they shouldn't be doing it!" Troy exclaimed, banging the battered yogurt cup on the table.

"Why?" Taylor asked, suddenly taking the offensive as her conversations with Gabriella weighed on her mind. "Because you two have a spark? Troy, you don't hold her hand in public or kiss her or hug her. You let things slip but everyone can see it's not intentional so they assume there is nothing official, and they're right. You two want to work your way into things and take it slow because it's new and we respect that but they," she gestured to the rest of the people in the room, "don't know that. As far as East is concerned, you and her are friends who flirt. End of story. They have a right to pursue her within tasteful limits. She's beautiful and smart and funny and sweet."

"You think I don't know that?" he asked, and Chad gave him a look that said not to push it with Taylor.

"But you're not the only one, Troy," she said, frustrated. "You want them to leave her alone? You want her for yourself? Do something about it."

"She doesn't want that," he told her, sounding disappointed and Taylor's expression softened.

"I'll let you in on something," she told him, seeing Sharpay smirk. "You're upset about the jocks?" Troy nodded as she continued. "Well, she's upset about the cheerleaders."

"Why?" he asked, surprised. He hadn't thought Gabriella would let that type of thing get to her. Taylor shrugged but it was Sharpay who answered.

"She got angry and ranted about a box or something. I think the point is that Amy Holtz referred to you as a 'mean hunk of man meat' and Gabriella almost slugged her." It always amazed Troy how Sharpay could hand out information with the same emotion she would use to inform you of the weather.

"Really?" he asked, giddy.

"Really," Taylor sighed, turning back to Chad's unfinished homework.

Opening his milk with more grace than he had awarded his yogurt, he contemplated what Taylor had said about his lack of right to Gabriella. Taking things slow and easing into what they wanted had seemed like a good idea, it still did, but there were other things Troy hadn't been aware of. He hadn't expected to feel so lost without being able to act however he wanted and he hadn't counted on competing with other guys. He had taken for granted that she was unspokenly his and that everyone else would back off. He was wrong and now what Taylor said weighed heavily against his exploding emotions. He wanted to take his time with her and enjoy the simple act of being together but to do that, he needed to stop wanting to hit something every time he saw her talk to someone with testosterone.

He needed Gabriella, he realized. He needed her, wanted her, craved her. He wanted to respect her wishes and insecurities, but he wasn't sure how long he could hold onto his self-control if she was going to become the most sought after tutor in the school.

* * *

Sharpay and Taylor didn't bother to look up when Gabriella blew into the political science class the next afternoon. After her tirade against the cheerleaders on Tuesday and a repeat conversation on Wednesday and again on Thursday, Taylor continued to double check Chad's Spanish homework that was due during their final period. Hearing Gabriella huff obnoxiously, Taylor rolled her eyes and looked up to see Gabriella furiously tapping out a text message on her cell phone.

"You really need to stop going to the bathroom before this class. Or find one that isn't frequented by cheerleaders," Taylor told her, erasing a wrong answer and trying to forge Chad's writing as she filled in the correct one.

"It wasn't cheerleaders," Gabriella told her through clenched teeth, "It was Annabelle Summers from the honours society."

"Yeah?" Taylor asked, trying to sound interested.

"She told me she was disappointed that I had sunk so low as to include the basketball guys in my circle of friends," Gabriella informed her in a venomous tone, "which I don't get because she's not one of my friends so why would she care? Anyway she said that she always liked my fights with Troy because it meant that she wasn't alone in thinking they're a bunch of imbeciles but since me and Troy are civil now, I must have lost my common sense," she continued, snapping her phone shut and slamming it onto her desk. "She actually said that. I have lost all common sense. I mean, why does she think they're dumb? Most of them are in advanced placement and Jack requires a 75 percent or above average to play and even Jason maintains that. Plus there are scouts coming from all over to see Troy and Chad n particular and some of those schools require serious marks to get in. Where does she get off?"

"Yeah," Taylor replied, adding an accent to one of the answers and erasing one from another. Chad should drop Spanish while he still had the chance. Or get Gabriella's mother to help him.

"Then she has the audacity to imply that she would sleep with him as long as it wasn't a serious relationship so she wouldn't have to introduce him to her parents." Gabriella felt her anger waning as her friends continued to remain calm and distant. Ignoring her would be the proper word, she knew, but at least they weren't telling her to shut up.

"What's with the text?" Sharpay asked, putting away her lipgloss.

"Chad's parents are having another family dinner thing. He and Troy are trying to coordinate an exit plan to let us escape after the actual dinner part," Gabriella explained in a calmer manner.

"I love how she can go from rampaging she-devil to cool, tactical plan maker," Sharpay said to Taylor and the other girl nodded. "You know Gabs, you and Troy need to do something about the rage before one of you explodes."

"Are you talking about the Dylan Sanders thing because he was really ticked off," Gabriella remembered, biting her lip.

"Dylan, Peter, Justin, Phillip.....it's a big list, Hun," Sharpay told her and Gabriella looked stunned.

"But they were just-," she didn't understand what they all had to do with Troy being mad.

"Just hitting on you? Making him lose his temper? Causing his eyes to turn into a wicked shade of green? Gabs, he's ready to kill the entire male population at East High for so much as looking at you." Sharpay turned her head to see the teacher enter the classroom and ask them to pull out their books.

Gabriella sat in her seat, stunned for a moment, until Taylor reached into her bag and pulled out the text book for her. Letting it drop onto the desk with a loud bang that pulled Gabriella to the present, she fumbled to find her pen as the class began. Troy was jealous? About other guys? But she hadn't even realized what they were doing. Two had wanted homework help and another had asked about musical tryouts even though Gabriella was set production but she hadn't really thought about it. Another had asked if she was trying out for baseball and someone else had tried to get her to join the debate team. He thought they meant something? But she didn't want anyone else.

* * *

Troy had had enough. He had spent his English class, one of the few without Gabriella, brushing off girls and ignoring the whispers about Gabriella and who was going to ask her to the opening football game on Sunday afternoon. The girls were normal. Had been since the early days of high school, but this year he found them aggravating and pathetic instead of merely amusing. Having exited his English class, his eyes had searched the hall for Gabriella who usually passed by on her way to their PE class from political science.

He found her standing by the lockers, Dan Jamieson blocking her way with one arm casually braced against the lockers as he peered down at her with a friendly smile. Troy actually liked the guy but he didn't like the way he reached out to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. The polite smile Gabriella had plastered on before that action disappeared and she immediately stepped back. Troy stiffened and his blood boiled as he heard Chad come up behind him. Handing him his books, he shoved himself away from the crowd of people at the door and took powerful strides towards the soccer player and the track star.

"You know, Dan," she was saying nervously before her eyes caught Troy's and relief broke over her face, "I'm not really free to run laps with you during free period. Troy and I do it in the morning so that I can join the basketball practices during the day." She offered him a smile that Troy immediately knew was faked.

"Hey you," Troy said casually, taking her bag off her shoulder and throwing it over his own. He smirked when he saw Dan's eyes widen. "How was class?"

"Okay," she told him, feeling the air crackle and her skin tingle as he leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her temple. "This is a pleasant surprise. I thought I was going to meet you guys in the gym," she said, seeing Chad and the gang grinning like idiots a few feet behind Dan's back.

"I was on my way and then I saw you talking to Dan, here, so I thought I would walk with you" he replied casually. "I also wanted to do this and we can't do it while Dad is watching."

Gabriella inhaled her gasp as his lips met hers and his fingers lifted her chin towards him. It was soft and delicate but enough to show their intimacy. Slowly opening her eyes, she searched his for a moment before smiling at him. Dan had stepped back but seemed unsure what to do without looking like an idiot who had been hitting on a taken girl. Since when had she been Bolton's girl?

"Yeah, definitely can't do that in front of your dad. You should do it again, make sure that it will last until later," she told him softly, her mouth grinning against his as he lowered his head again.

When they looked up, they noticed that Dan had fled during round two. Giggling, she grabbed Troy's hand and looked down. He grinned at her, laughter in his eyes as he took in the look on her face and the one on Chad's several feet away. Grabbing her hand, he went to pull her down the hallway but was stopped when she didn't move.

"Brie?" he asked, worried that he had pushed too far.

"Why now? I was ready and I'm not mad, but why now?" she asked, staring at their entwined hands. When he pulled a second time, she came to him.

"Because if we're going to do this, we need to do it together, which means we need to take the next step and admit we're together," he explained, insistent.

"And you want the guys to stop trying to seduce me," she prodded, needing to hear him say it since he had said it to their friends.

"And that," he admitted. "You're mine. Are you okay with that?"

"I'm always okay with being yours," she said, kissing his cheek and letting him pull her down the hall.

* * *

_AN: I was so excited to write this chapter. It was fun and I'm glad because I know its what some of you have been waiting for. You're such awesome reviewers so keep it up and if you're really awesome, I will give you the next before the weekend ends. It's already written because it rained all day and I was bored. Thank you to everyone who is dedicated and since it may be awhile before CHP3 goes up, thank you to everyone who has been reviewing Between You&Me (and if you havent, you should)._

_Thanks,_

_~Van_


	19. Define Start

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Nineteen- Define Start**

_start (verb): to set into motion._

* * *

Gabriella didn't have a fully cohesive memory of that Friday afternoon or evening. Lying on her bed that night, she tried to piece it together, telling herself that if she could remember every moment from that day it would be real. Solid. Instead of the surreal floating feeling she felt inside her belly. There had been some sprints and hurdles in PE class where Chad had asked question after question after question until someone told him to shut up. Then there had been physics for final period where she had taken notes that later made no sense. There had been a drive home that she couldn't really remember either. Sighing, she rolled over and let her cheek rest on her pillow. She needed to get rid of the weird girly feeling that made her want to giggle non-stop.

Dinner had been awkward from what she could remember. Chad had been completely obnoxious, dropping innuendos and hints while their parents looked confused and Troy looked murderous. She had fled the table the moment Lucy Bolton had taken the last bite of her apple crisp, signalling the end of dinner and the beginning of the coffee portion of family night that the teens were not obligated to remain for. Gabriella had been in a daze in the backseat of Chad's SUV with her head on Troy's shoulder as they drove to the ice cream place a block away to meet the gang. The only tangible moment she could grasp with all its details was when Troy had dropped her off at home and kissed her on the doorstep.

That had been real. That had been authentic and natural and exactly what she had been craving since he had claimed her in the hallway of East High in front of the student body and their friends. That had been genuine. Rolling onto her back again, Gabriella shut her eyes and smiled at the memory, her toes curling in complete contentment that for the first time since camp she and Troy were in the perfect place with each other. The chime of her cell phone tinkled through her consciousness and drew her back.

"Chad says your bedroom light is still on; you were awake, right?" Troy asked when she answered.

"Yeah, I'm awake," she replied softly, letting him hear the smile in her voice.

"You're still meeting me to run tomorrow morning?" They had been running every morning since Tuesday and it had been Gabriella's idea to continue during the weekends. She and Chad would be competing against the other Albuquerque schools at the city finals the next week before advancing to the state finals that were being hosted by West High later in the month. Although she and Chad trained together during their free period and at lunch, it was relaxing to run with Troy who could encourage her without worrying about himself.

"Of course, I'll wait outside so I don't wake your parents," she told him, scanning the room to find her running shoes so she wouldn't have to tear the room apart at 7am.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll leave the kitchen door unlocked if I'm not down there already," he insisted.

"Alright, I'll see you then." Hanging up, she switched off her light and clutched the pillow close.

The day had been a blur but she knew some things. She knew that Troy had been right to say that no one else mattered. It was just them. Sure, there were other people involved, but their hearts weren't at stake. Troy and Gabriella on the other hand, they were taking a jump, a leap, a whatever-you wanted-to-call-it into something new and undiscovered. She was ready though. All the fears and uncertainties she had held had vanished when Troy grabbed her hand that afternoon while others watched. He was there and that was all she wanted.

* * *

The pavement blurred under Troy's feet as he kept pace with Gabriella. The morning was still new and only a few people were awake enough to acknowledge their presence as they ran past the homes on their route. The wind was dry and the sun beat down, the air fresh as it brushed through his hair. Increasing his speed in sync with Gabriella, Troy caught her grin when she noticed the flawless transition. Letting his eyes scan her for a moment when her eyes returned to the road, he took in her spandex shorts and loose basketball jersey over her black sports bra. Her hair was in a tight French braid and her abandoned iPod that had kept her company as far as Troy's back door was still strapped in its case on her arm while the earbuds were in his pocket.

The incline of the hill evened out as the pair left the subdivision behind and entered the gated section of Albuquerque where Sharpay and Ryan lived. Gabriella loved running there because the traffic volume was slow and she wasn't confined to running on the sidewalks. Skirting the central boulevard as they fell into place again, Gabriella pulled the watch off her arm as she slowed slightly.

"From the next driveway to Sharpay's is 400 meters," she told him, holding out the watch and he took it.

"Give me a head start," he joked, speeding up until he hit what he considered to be the halfway point. Jogging on the spot, he held a hand over his head to signal her to start and then turned to reach the Evans' driveway before Gabriella.

Gripping the watch, he kept his gaze balanced between the running numbers and Gabriella as she pushed herself. Her time at East during the week of trials had hovered between 61 and 65 seconds. He knew she was determined to get it under 60 seconds, flat, but he also knew that she would do more damage pushing for that number instead of focusing on maintaining a consistent record. She had only knocked a few milliseconds off her record time on the first day and Jack had told her that West High's 400m female runners had clocked in at 60 seconds and a bit for their trial. Troy clenched his jaw as he watched the numbers jump past the 60second mark and click towards the times she usually made. She recognized the look on his face when she reached the stone arch of the driveway and her mouth pulled into a frown.

"62.7, Brie," he told her, his voice flat with disappointment that reflected in her face as her chest heaved.

"Dammit," she cursed quietly, turning her back to him and letting out a breath. Bouncing on her toes as she turned back, she took a steadying breath and lined her toes with the crack between sidewalk blocks. "Fine. Let's do it again."

"Babe, that's not going to help," he told her with a shake of his head.

"Troy, set the watch," she told him, bending into position and raising her head to look him in the eye.

"Look, we'll go back to the house, get something to eat and when you've rested, I'll drive us to East and we'll do it on the track. This isn't accurate, especially after running a mile to get here." He tried to sound helpful and less patronizing than he knew it sounded.

"One more time," she insisted, rolling her head on her neck.

"You're going to hurt yourself," he argued, his eyes flashing as his temper bubbled under the surface. She was doing it again with her obsession with personal perfection. "You've been doing this everyday for the last week, maybe you need a break for a day. Relax and take the pressure off. You've got until Friday to get it down; that's almost a whole week."

"Last winter, when East was set to play West for the basketball championships, how many times a day did you run practice?" she asked, not making any sign of leaving her position. When Troy gave her a stony look, she continued. "At least twice, Troy. Free period, after school and every morning if you could haul enough people out of bed to make it to Chad's. What makes you think this is any different?"

"Brie, basketball practice can be regulated to avoid burnout and injury. Track, especially what you're running, that's physically exhausting every time you do it. You won't be able to move by the meet and you've barely touched the hurdles since Wednesday," Troy told her, his voice even.

"I don't care about the hurdles. The 400m is what I've been working for since last year. This is my race and I'm going to win the damn thing. Amy Samuels is not going to knock me out this year," Gabriella spit out, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the makeshift finish point in the distance. Behind her, Troy sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Seriously? That's what this is about?" She didn't answer and Troy felt his frustration with her build. He could have understood if she was driving herself to pay the Albuquerque Prep track star back for her dirty tricks on the track the year before, but he knew Gabriella was doing it to prove to herself that she could do it without the need to actually trip the girl on the track. "Babe, she cut into your lane on purpose; there was nothing you could have done. Chad showed me the tapes and it was all her."

"You don't understand," she said quietly, her eyes dropping to the ground. Her muscles were cramping from the lack of movement but she refused to let him know she planned to give in if he pushed the issue further.

"Then explain it to me, please. Explain why you are driving yourself into the ground to prove something to that cheat? The judges stripped her of going to state finals and you got to re-run your time so that you could at least place. Everyone knows you got screwed out of finishing," Troy was almost yelling but his knowledge of where he was kept him from doing so.

"I'm never first!" she screamed at him, and he actually took a step back as she let go of the starting stance and fell back onto her butt, her knees bent with her hands resting on the pavement. "Never! I'm never the lead in the musical or captain of the scholastic decathlon. I'm not class president or the fucking track state finalist. Sharpay takes the lead and makes me the understudy, Taylor runs for president and makes me her campaign manager but not her vice president because then she would have no one to do all the crappy jobs no one wants. Hell, you're GPA is a point higher than mine so I don't even win that area."

"Brie, I-," a sharp look from her stopped him from continuing. Her face held so much anguish that Troy felt guilty he hadn't seen it coming.

"It's not about competing; it's not," she insisted, "but track is the one place where none of my friends are competing against me. It's the one thing I don't feel guilty about taking from them and last year was supposed to be my moment. It was supposed to be the time when Gabriella Montez stopped dabbling for fun and showed East that she chose to be mediocre in some areas but she had the skills to be a star. It was supposed to be _my _moment to shine, and that witch took it from me. I didn't even get second place. I got honorary third, but it wasn't enough to send me to state." She felt like an idiot, sitting on the street and crying in the richest neighbourhood in town while East High's golden boy watched. "I need to do this. I need to win on Friday."

Troy saw the unshed tears and the white, bloodless fingertips as they dug into the biting road. He didn't know what to say. How had he not seen what people's expectations of her and her expectations for her herself were doing to her? He had watched as her friends and classmates and teachers took and took without giving back, and he had felt superior to know that he never did it, but he had been blind just like them. The signature smile that each person in her life knew had hidden everything. Collapsing in front of her, he pulled her to his chest and held her there.

"It's stopping, now," he let the words hiss out between his teeth, "No more holding yourself back so no one gets hurt. It's time you came first in your own life."

"Do you know how much it hurt? To fight with you and know everything you said was true? To know that the person I resented the most was the only person who saw?" her hands gripped his shirt and she inhaled the scent that was uniquely Troy.

"I obviously didn't see enough," he whispered. "God, I'm so sorry."

"It was never you and it's not even them. I let it happen and I hate that I did," she told him, biting her lip as her muscles protested movement. "But I need this race. I need to win."

"I promise that I will give you every minute I have between now and then, but not this weekend. You need a decent rest so you can train properly. None of this running while half-dead crap," Troy told her, gripping her face with both hands and running his thumbs along her cheeks to catch stray tears. "You're tired and emotionally fried from psyching yourself out. The fact that you're having a meltdown in front of Sharpay's house at 8am on a Saturday speaks to that."

Seeing her nod, he gave her a smile that she returned half-heartedly as he gripped her wrist and began rising so he could pull her with him. He stopped at the first wince and returned her to the ground. She looked away as he let trained hands slide up her legs, over stiffened calf muscles and onto the tight joints of her knees. Keeping any sarcastic comments to himself, he gripped her hips and stood, her legs tightening around his waist as her hands rested on his shoulders. Drained, her eyes slid closed as she focused on Troy's even heartbeat instead her own erratic one, as he used one free hand to dig in his pocket and pull out his phone. Sitting on the curb with Gabriella's uneven breaths tickling his neck, he pressed a kiss to her temple before calling Chad to come get them.

* * *

Gabriella frowned when Troy cracked the front door open on Sunday morning. She had tried the kitchen door but it hadn't been unlocked like the morning before so she had knocked softly on the front door, thinking he had overslept. Judging by the sight before her, she was right. His hair stuck up when he ran a hand through it and he rubbed his eyes with his hand while leaning his head against the doorpost. Sliding her glance downwards, she saw he was only in a pair of sweatpants, his chest bare.

"Brie, it's like 8:30 in the morning, what are you doing?" he asked, eyes only half open.

"Uh, running?" she reminded him, her frown deepening when his eyes snapped open. "Did you sleep through the alarm?"

"I didn't set an alarm," he told her firmly, trying to read her face and wondering why she looked confused. "I told you yesterday to take a break. We'll train tomorrow."

"But I thought you just meant the sprint part," she said slowly, feeling color creep into her cheeks. She didn't want to give up time with him. They were supposed to go to the football game with their friends later and this was the only chance where they could be alone, even if it was just running. "I thought we'd still do a couple of blocks or something."

"I thought we agreed to sleep in and take it easy. This is not sleeping in," he scolded gently.

"I did sleep in," she told him, glancing at her watch to check. "It's after 8; you're not up?"

He couldn't help it, he had to laugh. She looked so innocent when she asked the question, as if it was perfectly common for teenage boys to be awake that early on a day with no school and no commitments. She shifted from foot to foot and he waited until she looked up from her sneakers to pull her chin up so he could kiss her. Her hand slid up the doorjam beside his until they were interlocked and pressing against the wood. Her fingers trailed down his chest, leaving fire in their wake as they hooked into the waistband of his sweats while his hand left her chin and raked her hair out of his way. Pulling away, he tried to focus his dilated pupils.

"Brie, no one considers 8am in the morning efficient 'sleeping in' time. It would be more like 10 or 11," he said, closing his eyes and tilting his head back as her finger traced a scar on his abdomen from appendicitis when he was a kid. Shivering, he stopped her hand so she would look at him. "You're going to go home, go back to bed, and sleep until I call you."

"I can't go back to sleep now, I'm up and dressed and awake. I mean, I could go and get showered and dressed but the game isn't until 2o'clock and I have nothing to do until then-," she was stopped by a flicker of motion she should have recognized. "What are you doing? No, Troy, put me down! What are you doing?!"

"We're going back to bed. You're going to sleep. I'll even have Mom call yours to explain that we're teaching you the art of relaxation," he joked as carefully navigated the entrance way so that he didn't hit her head on anything. He had been kidding about his mom, but when he passed the kitchen, she was already in there with coffee and the morning paper.

"Troy? I thought I heard Gabriella at the door," she said, not looking up.

"You did," he replied flippantly. "We'll be upstairs."

His mother, only halfway through her first cup of coffee and a full fifteen minutes away from actually processing to her son's answer, had scanned the next two pages of the paper before it hit her. Climbing the stairs and easing open the door that hadn't been fully shut, she scanned the room for anything out of place. It was a disaster but she still picked out the sneakers that were too small for Troy on the floor and a green iPod on his desk beside a red phone that also didn't belong in their house. Trailing her eyes up the comforter, she took in the sleeping form of Gabriella who was hugging the blankets to her chest. A larger, more muscular arm was draped over her waist but Troy was sprawled out on top of the covers instead of under them. He locked eyes with his mother when she finished her inspection.

"Just sleeping, Mom," he said softly and she nodded her head while frowning. "Can you call Maria?"

"Uh, sure," she said uncertainly.

"Thanks."

When she heard the door shut, Gabriella turned away from the pillow and rested her ear and cheek against his chest. Her arm snaked around his stomach as his hand reached under her and rested against the small of her back. Pulling the covers further up, he let them fall over her as she nuzzled further against him. Before falling into a light sleep as the sun outside brightened, Gabriella smiled as she felt his breathing even out.

* * *

Troy's eyes remained closed as he pulled the arm over his head down to scratch an itch on his abdomen. The warmth beside him shifted and he tensed when the itch returned, beginning on the left side and leaving a scorching trail in its wake as it travelled. Cracking an eye, he watched as Gabriella continued to use her nail to sketch pictures on his torso. Her hair had been pulled from its ponytail and the tresses cascaded over her shoulders, obscuring her view of his face. Her face was serene as he studied her, void of the previous day's tension and fatigue, and her lower lip jutted out as she worked. He let her continue what she was doing until the swirls of her design began travelling further south and he made the difficult decision of stopping her before she realized what it was doing to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, teasing in his voice as her head turned towards him.

"Did it wake you up?" she said back, not answering him. Making a pillow with her arms, she rested her cheek against it and gazed back at him. When he shook his head, she relaxed. "I couldn't sleep. You smile when you dream."

"Do I?" he commented. His hand reached out and wrapped a curl around a finger, its silkiness gliding against the roughness of his hands. "You were supposed to sleep too, you know."

"I did for a bit, but then I woke up again. It's almost noon," she informed him, raising herself and stretching her hands over her head. He watched her for a moment before getting rid of the smile and giving her a serious look. She shook her head and interrupted him before he could speak. "Can we just stay like this for today?"

"In my bed?" Troy asked, teasing again as her cheeks flushed.

"Funny," she told him, rolling her eyes before meeting his gaze. "I meant this easy, uncomplicated place where you're not worried or being protective and I'm not freaking out. I just want to go to the football game with our friends and have fun doing whatever we want to do. No boundaries. No secrets. Everything out in the open like Friday. Can we forget yesterday?"

"We're going to talk about it eventually," he told her, pushing her hair back.

"But not today," she insisted, kneeling and curling into his chest against the headboard. His lips pressed into her hair and then her skin before she turned and caught his lips.

"Not today," he agreed, voice husky as he dipped his head to hers. "Right here is good."

* * *

The sky was pale when Gabriella stepped out of the girls' locker room on Monday morning. The track was darkened by the shadow of the bleachers as they rose on the far side, but someone was already ahead of her, pulling hurdles into position. Rolling her shoulders, Gabriella loosened her neck muscles as she looked around, recalling how loud and full the same area had been the afternoon before when East had defeated North High in a football game that had ended at 56-47. She had stood in the stands, cheering with her friends and Troy, lost in the scenario of the cliché high school moment. Crossing the field, she shook off the early morning chill as lights clicked on in the windows behind her and teachers arrived to set up their classrooms for the day.

"Ready to go?" Troy asked, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans and his hair still askew from bed.

"You didn't have to come out this early," she told him softly, feeling that the morning was too quiet for a normal tone.

"I promised," he told her evenly, "Plus Chad is probably hungover from the after-party last night."

She laughed as she stretched, working out the kinks before shedding her jacket and tossing it to the side. Setting her feet against the starting blocks, she focused on the first white hurdle that he had set in her path. More followed it, evenly spaced along the white markings of the track. Looking over, she saw Troy bring out a stop watch and scratch his neck absently before running the short distance to the finish mark.

"Ready, set, go," he called, voice floating on the breeze so that she was the only one to hear it. He called out the time as she hit each hurdle, arching over it as she made her way through them one by one. Reaching the end, she caught her breath before looking over to see him marking her time down. "You knocked six seconds off," he said with a smile. "Good job."

"Really?" she asked, surprised because she hadn't noticed an improvement. "Thanks. Let's do it again."

"It's all you, Brie. Just focus on the finish." He didn't look up until he realized that she hadn't left yet. "What is it?"

"How do you do it?" she said to him, a small smile on her lips and a soft expression on her face as the sweat on her forehead gleamed.

"Do what?" he asked, eyebrows coming together.

"Make everything okay even when it's not?"

"Is everything not okay? That was a really good time, considering it's not your strong point," he told her, sleep deprivation causing his brain to slow down.

"No, everything's fine. Never mind," she assured him, realizing that her ramblings were lost on him as long as he was focused on the stop watch.

"Alright, so if you hurry, we have enough time to run the hurdles again and try your 400m before class starts," he said, looking back down as she returned to the starting blocks. "Ready, set, go!" he called, and she took off again.

Trial after trial, she ran while he called out times. Pushing her towards the showers when the warning bell threatened to make her late to homeroom, Troy told her he would clean up and meet her there. Running into Ms. Darbus' classroom just as the bell rang, Gabriella quickly located Troy at the back of the room, his head resting on his desk as Chad and Jason chatted over him. Feeling confident after having him act as her personal cheerleader all morning, she brushed past the other students and ruffled his hair before kissing the top of his head and taking her seat in the desk behind him.

There was a collective inhalation of breath from the students around them, as he turned to smile at her. A choking sound came from the front of the room where Miss Darbus' morning announcements had been interrupted by the scene. Taylor and Sharpay carried on with their nail filing without looking fazed and Chad and Jason barely noticed. It wasn't until Troy drew her face towards him to place a kiss on her lips that the teacher resumed her professionalism and smacked her ruler against the chalkboard, causing them to jump apart.

Trying not to stare, the other students pretended that Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez kissing was an everyday occurrence. Gabriella bit her tongue from telling them to get used to it.

* * *

_AN: Thanks for all the awesome reviews last time. This chapter is slightly shorter than usual, but it ends where I need it to so I'm sure you'll handle it. The next one is half written but it may take a few days to finish and put up since I have a friend waiting on some editing for her story. For those of you who follow Jez Montgomery, she's finally gotten around to finishing Unsaid Promise so it should be done by the end of the week. Now, a few answers to a few questions:_

_-There are more chapters coming. I know where I want it to end, I just don't know how many it will take to get there._

_-I got some reviews about the 'let's run to vegas' passion (which is a great way of putting it), and its somewhat nonexistence. The passion is there, it's just subtle. Remember that they grew up together, were sort of friends and then nemesis before waking up and seeing how much they mean to each other. The passion is in how well they read each other and know what they want. The hot stuff is later, after establishing a foundation._

_-As for why you don't know any boys like Troy? Because he's in my head and unlike Troy's amazing ability to read Gabriella, real guys need you to spell it out for them sometimes. _

_~Van_


	20. Define Presence

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty- Define Presence**

_presence (noun):the company or nearness of one person to another._

* * *

The horribly disguised gossip came to an abrupt stop when Gabriella entered political science on Monday afternoon. Trying to pretend she hadn't noticed, she walked down the narrow aisle between the rows of desks and slid into her spot in front of Taylor. A few moments later, Sharpay skipped in, a bag of chocolate chip cookies in her hand.

"I bring sustenance," she declared, sitting across from Gabriella and flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Zeke is trying this non-dairy, non-wheat recipe and needs to know if they taste like dirt."

"Oh, how inviting," Gabriella teased as she accepted one and took a bite. The flavour wasn't as bland as she had expected but it still wasn't as satisfying as cookies should be. "What is exactly in this?"

"I'm not sure. Does yours taste like sawdust?" Sharpay asked, frowning as she pulled a chocolate chip from the rest of the dough and ate it. Gabriella nodded and handed back the remainder of her disappointing treat. "God, these need work."

"Speaking of work," Taylor interrupted, her cookie untouched, "how about we try to work on this project that's due next week? We have all class to come up with a topic and a schedule to work on it after school."

"This week really isn't good," Gabriella said, turning in her desk and cracking open her book. "I can do part of it at home, but I have track every day after school and then the meet on Friday and Saturday. Maybe next week?"

"What about free period?" Taylor asked, scanning her planner that was color coordinated to match student government meetings, decathlon practice, homework and various meetings with administration. "And study hall."

"I don't have study hall," Gabriella reminded her, eyeing her planner as well, "And I have track during free period except for Wednesday and Thursday- I have basketball tryouts."

"We're running auditions for all the small roles this week during lunch so that rules out that too," Sharpay added, the keys on her BlackBerry tinkling as she scrolled through her schedule. "Gabs, Troy said you were planning to try out for one of the leads?"

"Uh, yeah, maybe..." Gabriella felt uneasy about approaching that topic in a class of innocent bystanders, but she felt slightly less tense when she saw the smile on Sharpay's face.

"I think that's great. I was talking to Ryan and I really want to do the part of Anita. I did Maria and I really don't want to wear a wig again," Sharpay chattered, ignoring the glares from Taylor as she suggested days for studying only to be ignored. "Of course, you need to do a doubles audition if you want the part of Maria but Ryan said he would do it with you, since he will probably play Tony."

"Don't you need an audition partner?" Gabriella asked, followed by, "No, Tay, the lead auditions are Monday. What about that night?" Taylor shot it down and continued to flip through her book.

"Anita isn't a main lead so I don't have to unless I want. Ryan can do both if he wants to but I want to make sure whoever plays Bernardo is decent because he's really important for the first act." Sharpay pulled Taylor's schedule away from her and proceeded to run a manicured finger down the list of dates. "How about we plan for Sunday?"

"Troy and I were going to-," Gabriella sighed when she saw Taylor's face cloud, "-yeah, that can work."

"Well, no, if you and Troy Boy were going to do something-," Sharpay was cut off by Taylor.

"She said it was fine. I'm sure Troy and Gabi can reschedule their basketball game or movie day or whatever it was," Taylor replied, irritated by her friends' lack of interest. Gabriella remained silent, something that didn't go unnoticed by Sharpay.

"Taylor, that's not fair. If they had plans, then maybe we should pick another day," the blonde's voice had taken on a harder edge than her earlier chatter.

"There isn't another day, Sharpay," Taylor shot back, "You have your auditions and Gabriella has this ridiculous track schedule plus basketball tryouts and apparently now, she's auditioning for your musical so that pretty much rules out any other moment of actual intellectual activity."

"Hey, that's not fair," Sharpay said before Gabriella could answer. "You're schedule is just as bad."

"Yeah, but mine can't be changed. Gabs, can't you just tell the coach you need to miss a practice or something? Or Coach Bolton could let you skip tryouts? You're on the team anyway." Gabriella bristled as the blasé way that Taylor said the words' change' and 'skip'.

"No, Tay, I have a meet coming up. It decides who goes to State. Sort of important," Gabriella spit out, seeing Sharpay roll her eyes. "And if I want captain, I need to be at tryouts."

"Captain is a big position," Taylor told her in the same voice a mother would suggest that perhaps the child needed to rethink their decision because it was wrong, "Look how much time Troy spends with it. Plus the playoffs and championships always fall during the decathlon season."

"I'm thinking of passing it up this year. Maybe coaching you guys but not actually competing. I've done it every year since junior high and I want something different," Gabriella said, playing with her pencil.

"You would give up the decathlon for basketball? Gabriella, it's basketball!" Taylor cried, horrified.

"Taylor, relax and focus on the project," Sharpay reprimanded. "Not everyone looks down their nose at the athletes. She's allowed to have fun, you know."

Gabriella continued to help brainstorm project topics as she tried to push the conversation out of her mind. What was it about Taylor's tone of accusation that kept coming back to her? There had been a hint of condescension, but something else lay deeper. Eyeing Taylor as she furiously took notes from the text book and the outline on the front board, Gabriella tried to put her finger on it. Taylor hadn't sounded surprised; she had sounded shocked. Gabriella knew the difference and despite the tight atmosphere that Sharpay was attempting to demolish, she also knew it would come up again.

* * *

Troy saw that Gabriella had yet to enter homeroom on Tuesday morning when he arrived. Catching the ball that Chad tossed at his head, he perched on the corner of his desk and faced his friends. Waiting for them to finish their conversations, he glanced at Taylor who was busy reading a political science text book and taking notes.

"Homework to finish?" he asked cheerfully, reading over her shoulder as she wrote things down in neat point form.

"Project for next week. I'm stuck doing most of it by myself," she added, eyeing him for emphasis. He frowned.

"Isn't Brie doing that with you? I swore she mentioned a project or something when she asked to cancel our plans for Sunday," he told Taylor, also recalling the reluctant way Gabriella had relayed the problem. "She said it was really important for her to be there to share the work."

"Yeah, well, apparently it's more important for her to be at track, basketball and the musical auditions so I am making sure none of us flunk." Taylor's voice sounded harsh and cruel to Troy and his frown went from confusion to irritation.

"This meet is a really big deal for her; she's been training forever," he bit out, never one to tolerate Taylor's attitude in the first place. "Plus, you have three weeks to get it done."

"We have to start planning Homecoming next week plus it's the main kick-off to the soccer season. I have all these meetings with administration and then the decathlon qualifying rounds start which I am going to have to organize by myself because Gabriella is bailing for basketball and musical. I won't have time to work on this outside of school, so this weekend is our only option." Taylor didn't see the look on Troy's face as she blatantly told him that Gabriella's wishes didn't matter.

"So your plans matter more than hers? Such a great friend you are, McKessie. She changed her schedule for you and all you can say is 'good, she should'?" Troy shook his head with disappointment at the side of Taylor that made him glad she didn't date his best friend.

"What is it with you two and this Sunday? You can play basketball or reminisce over camp any other time, why do you insist on making it sound like I asked for a kidney?" Taylor was annoyed but Troy didn't feel any sympathy from her. Thinking of the state Gabriella had been the previous Saturday, he shook his head at how little Taylor knew.

"You're so smart, McKessie, but you can't see what's right in front of you. Your best friend changed her schedule for you, not her, and you can't even be bothered to ask what her plans had been in the first place? Are you that selfish?" She looked surprised at how the brutal words dripped from his tongue. "It was a date, Taylor. Our first actual date. I even made reservations at _Salvatore's_ for us and she had plans to ask you and Sharpay to go with her to buy a new dress. She hasn't shut up about it to Chad or Kelsi, but she didn't get to tell you because you told her to change her plans without asking about them."

"She should have said something," Taylor retorted, feeling guilty but not understanding why he was so angry with her. So, she hadn't asked, that wasn't a crime. It was Sharpay who came to Gabriella's defence and sided with Troy just as the person in question appeared in the doorway.

"You tell yourself that," Sharpay snapped, smiling at Gabriella as she took the seat beside Troy.

Troy shifted his focus to the girl beside him as he dropped a kiss on her cheek and took her by surprise. She chatted with Sharpay and asked Taylor something about a yearbook meeting but Troy caught the flash of hurt in her eyes when Taylor only answered with short, clipped words or deliberately left her seat to talk to Mrs. Darbus each time Gabriella tried to include her in a conversation. Squeezing her hand, Troy tried to tell her to let it go, but he knew there was something else going on and Gabriella was trying to figure it out.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon, Gabriella ran sprint after sprint, relay after relay, and hurdles after hurdles until she could barely move. Her limbs felt like jelly and her blood pounded in her ears as she gasped for breath. Feet pounding the rubber as she circled the field for the fourth time in her final heat, she couldn't have cared less about how slow she was going as long as she made it to the finish line. Chad's voice echoed dimly in her head as she passed the marking on the ground that signalled the end and warm hands caught her as she felt her knees jerk under her. Recovering before hitting the ground, she accepted the water bottle her coach tossed her and caught the satisfied smile on his lined face.

"That was an impressive afternoon, Montez. I don't think I have ever seen you run like that since the time trials on the first day. Danforth says you've been training with Bolton?" The coach saw the tired nod as his athlete sank to the ground and drained her bottle. "I'm glad to see he's been able to tap into your full potential. You're really focused this year."

"I want to win," Gabriella told him, her voice hoarse as the final runners crossed the line and collapsed beside her.

"I have no doubt you will. Tell Bolton he's doing a good job," the coach replied, calling an end to practice.

Gabriella lay down on the grass, the strands tickling her sticky skin as she inhaled through her nose to regain a rhythm. A foot nudged hers and she cracked her eyes open to see Chad offering a hand. Grasping it, he hauled her to her feet and steadied her as liquid muscles contracted. Forcing herself to cross the field to the locker rooms, she listened as Chad talked to one of his relay partners. Reaching the door, he pulled it open for her.

"Don't fall asleep yet," he joked, looking back towards the parking lot to see a familiar figure leaning against Gabriella's convertible. "Did you drive Troy this morning?"

"Yeah, his truck blew something important. A water pump maybe? I don't know, he called and asked me to pick him up. I thought he would have left with his dad by now." She leaned heavily against the cool metal of the doorframe and contemplated whether showering was really necessary.

"Do me a favour and let him drive you home? He can walk back to his house but you'll never keep that car from crashing into a lamp pole at this rate." She didn't even consider protesting and he took it a sign he was right. "Go shower and grab your stuff, you did great today."

Nodding, she waved him off before entering the girls' locker room.

* * *

The smile on Troy's face was smug as he watched Gabriella limp towards him from the locker rooms. He had remained in the parking lot to watch her practice, but he had seen every minute of it. Their coach had driven them all into the ground but it seemed that each time Gabriella started another lap, she pushed herself further. It showed dedication but Troy knew she was exhausted by the way Chad carried her bag and she focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Glancing up, she tried to smile but it didn't work and he laughed.

"Tired, Babe?" he asked, pulling open the door for her. She barely managed a nod before practically falling into the passenger seat and resting her head against the back of the seat. "I take it I'm driving?"

"She's going to fall asleep before you get home, but make sure you wake her up so she eats something," Chad told him, tossing her bag into the back seat before aiming his keys across the parking aisle and unlocking his SUV. "Do you want to chill at my place tonight?"

"Aren't you tired?" Troy asked, glancing at Gabriella who appeared dead to the world.

"It's not that bad. I know where I stand and I'm satisfied with that. Gabs is determined to win and refuses to leave any room for a different possibility. She's pushing herself further than anyone," Chad replied.

"Yeah, I know," Troy told him, "Oh, well, I guess we could play some video games or something. You can help me plan Junior Varsity tryouts, if you want."

"Sounds good," Chad told him, calling over his shoulder as he crossed the parking lot. "Get your girl home and then come over. I think Mom's making pizza."

Waving a hand in the air, Troy slid into the driver's seat and took a moment to admire the lush interior before leaning over to do up Gabriella's seatbelt. Shoving the car into gear, he backed out of the spot and swung towards the exit of East High. He smiled to himself as he turned onto the main road without so much as a murmur or flicker of movement from Gabriella.

* * *

Gabriella didn't look up when Taylor slid into the vacant seat beside her on Wednesday. Her focus remained on the short list of runners competing in the meet on Friday that was on the table between her and Chad, who was squeezed into the space on her other side. Her hand moving in a methodical manner, Gabriella ran an orange highlighter across the events that she and Chad were listed for as his finger slide down the page. Once and awhile, their system would be interrupted by a brief conversation regarding a certain runner or a school's standing, only to resume a moment later. Kelsi and Ryan were in a heated debate further down the table with Sharpay over the show dates for November, Zeke was getting Jason's opinion on a new recipe and Taylor was discreetly scanning Chad's homework that lay open on the table. Around them, the cafeteria buzzed with gossip, news and scandals.

"Where's Troy?" Taylor asked, biting into an apple as she decided to go over the itinerary for the afternoon's student government meeting.

"Running try-outs for the junior varsity team," Gabriella told her absently, pointing something out to Chad who groaned.

"Shouldn't Chad be there too?" Taylor inquired, haughtiness slipping into her voice without intending it to.

"Chad's busy trying to find a way to win on Friday," Chad informed her, mildly irritated at the constant interruptions. The others had caught on quicker to the boiling tension and nerves that flashed between him and Gabriella. Taylor was supposed to be the brain of the group.

"Do you have to talk in the third person?" Taylor raised an eyebrow but felt her cheeks flush at the glare he sent her way along with a tight lipped frown.

"Tay, we're kinda working on something here," Gabriella informed her, trying to subtly tell her to back off while hoping to diffuse the situation occurring between both her friends.

"I thought you were supposed to help me confirm that Jake's financial budget for the year was correct," Taylor told her, annoyed over being ignored and then told to buzz off. "There's only a few minutes left before class."

"No, I told you Jake is perfectly capable of planning a budget and you are capable of checking it. I need to finish this before PE so I know what to work with." Gabriella's highlighter slid across the page without hesitation or a break in focus. Her free hand gently patted Chad's thigh to tell him to let it go and concentrate.

"You've both gone over those times a thousand times since yesterday morning. Surely, you've figured it out by now?" She missed the tensing shoulders and quick flutter of eyelashes as Gabriella closed her eyes and took a breath before running her marker over the 4x400m relay for Chad. "You said you would help me with this."

Gabriella tried to calm her breath. She thought of ocean water and waterfalls and the feeling of wind on her hair and when that failed, she moved onto the way Troy's hands felt on her skin and the way his hair drove her fingers crazy. Opening her eyes, she read the next event on the page, thinking that if she focused on track, maybe she could let the bubbling emotions inside her go. Failing, she sucked in a breath. Taylor, in her obsession to consider academics the only thing worth being above her needs, had crossed a line that Gabriella had clearly drawn. Handing the marker to Chad, she placed both hands flat on the surface of the table and turned to narrow her eyes at Taylor.

"Taylor, the answer was no." To her credit, Taylor caught on that time. "If you wanted me to help with the government this much, then you should have asked me to join or campaign with you- not do the hard work for you and everyone else. Instead, you expected it from me. Well, I have expectations too. I expect my friends to be in the stands on Friday, cheering me on, but I know you won't be because you never are. So before you start making demands, ask yourself what you're willing to do in return."

"But, I-," Taylor sputtered in humiliation and anger at her friend's harsh sting.

"Tay," Gabriella's voice softened some, "I really want this. I need this more than Chad wants the basketball championships or Sharpay wants the lead in every play and more than you want to get in to Yale. This is big- no, huge- for me so if you're not going to be supportive or let me put myself first, then I suggest you back off until the end of the track season." It was Taylor who broke eye contact, blinking away tears as her cheeks reddened further.

"And Troy is supportive? Chad is supportive? Are Zeke and Jason supportive, too, Gabi?" She snapped, pulling herself out of the seat and grabbing her books into an awkward pile. Anger and disappointment burned in her eyes as Gabriella's even gaze turned to something on the verge of exploding. "Since when do you turn to the basketball team for support? After all the times I listened to you rant and vent and cry over Troy, you have the nerve to say I'm unsupportive? Do you know how many times I put off homework or rearranged my study schedule to accommodate you and your drama?"

Gabriella felt the shift as a crack appeared between them. She felt Chad stand behind her, anger radiating off him in waves. She felt her heart shattered as her best-friend's words slammed into her. It physically hurt and made her sick as she listened to her friend voice her preference to do homework over helping her with a problem. Her stomach curled and burned as she tried to swallow the acidic taste in her mouth. All she wanted was for Taylor to acknowledge that she understood what the track meet meant to her, and all she was getting was a verbal slap to the face.

"Friendship is not meant to be an obligation, Taylor. Support is being there because it's important to someone you love, even when you don't understand why. I'm sorry if that's what I've been all these years- an obligation." Gabriella's voice was quiet and some would have thought it was simply an ability to keep her emotions under control but she knew it was the opposite.

"Gabi, that's not what I meant, but I'm not Troy and Chad. I don't understand what good it is if I run with you or holler out times or stand in the bleachers and cheer when I have no idea what's going on," Taylor pleaded and Gabriella actually believed her. She really didn't see the point and that was the problem. That had been the problem for awhile.

"It shows you care, Taylor. That's it. That's all I want from you. Yes, Troy and Chad have more advice to offer, but that's not what I need. I need to know you're there." Gabriella gave her a weak smile. "And you're not. You don't even want me there. You want me to join you for meetings or budget discussions or decathlon meetings. Because to you, those are important and me being there benefits you. Here's the thing: sometimes, what I want is important. Sometimes, it needs to be me first and you second."

"Is that something you got from Troy?" Taylor asked cruelly, "He's known you for three months and he thinks he knows you? He thinks he knows what's best?"

"Actually, Tay, aside from Chad, Troy is the only one who knows me and it's been for much longer than three months. He sees through the walls and the fake smiles and the motions I go through just to make other people happy. I'm not an obligation to him. He cares. He will be in the stands. He is the one I will look for before I start each run and I know that I don't have to come in first place to make him proud. I may be disappointed, but he won't be." Gabriella saw a tear trace its way down Taylor's face and guilt tugged at her heart but she didn't follow her when she fled the cafeteria with her books.

"Gabs," Chad began, stretching a hand towards her shoulder. Gabriella sidestepped his motion and paused for a second before running up the stairs to the upper level, ignoring him call her name or try to follow.

Leaving the cafeteria behind, she turned down the science wing and dodged freshmen and sophomores as they headed towards the cafeteria for their lunch period. She heard the bell signal the end of her lunch period but ignored it, continuing towards the familiar door at the end of the hallway. Pausing to slow, she glanced around to make sure no one was watching before pulling it open. Taking the narrow stairs two at a time, she heard the door slam behind her as she continued to the roof.

* * *

Troy, already dressed for PE after running tryouts for the junior varsity team, looked up from where he was placing basketballs on their cart to see Chad rushing towards him. He had entered the gym through the main doors and not the locker room which Troy frowned at. Setting the last ball in place, he crossed the rest of the distance to notice that Chad carried a purple gym bag that Troy recognized as Gabriella's.

"What's up?" he asked, knowing it was too casual for the obvious conflict of rage crossing Chad's face. "Where's Brie?"

"I don't know," Chad replied as students poured out of the locker rooms, ready for class. "I thought she might have come here to find you but I see not. She and McKessie got into in the cafeteria; they both said some pretty harsh things although Gabs was just being honest and Taylor was being downright witchy. They both took off."

"Which way?" Troy asked, taking her bag from Chad and making a quick decision.

"Upper cafeteria, by the science wing," he replied, knowing it meant something to Troy by the relief on his face but not knowing for sure. "What do I tell Coach?"

"The truth if you want," Troy said, shrugging, "he'll figure it out anyway when he sees she's missing too."

Nodding, Chad left for the locker room to dress and Troy headed out of the gym and down the corridor. Climbing to the third floor, he took the winding hallways to the science wing and the door he knew led to the roof. Their conversation from camp came back to him as he took the stairs, every part of him knowing she would up there.

Sure enough, the single park bench was occupied. Her hair had been thrown up in a messy, lopsided bun that was drooping and she was still wearing her gym gear from free period practice. Her track studs had been swapped for sandals and she had her knees curled to her chest as she stared across the space towards the cityline of Albuquerque.

"Hey," he called softly, setting down her bag and crouching down to see her face. "How are you doing?"

"Not so great," she admitted, dark eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I think if I cried, then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. It would be over and I could be okay, but I can't seem to cry. Do you think that's weird?"

"Not really," he told her, "Maybe you're not supposed to be sad right now. Maybe you're supposed to be angry or confused or relieved."

"I'm all of those. I'm mad at what she said and confused about how she could think that and then I'm relieved that we finally just got it all out there so we're not lying to each other anymore. She's not right, is she? That I'm expecting too much or replacing her with you and Chad? Am I doing something wrong?" She bit her lip and searched Troy's eyes.

"No, Baby, you're not doing anything wrong. Taylor likes knowing how things work. She needs to have a system and right now, you're messing with it and she doesn't understand that." He moved from the ground to the spot beside her and she leaned into him. "Maybe she feels neglected, or ignored, but it's not because you're focusing on other people. You're focusing on you and no one should tell you that's unimportant."

"I told her I want her to be in the stands on Friday," Gabriella admitted, feeling the familiar circles being rubbed into her back. "But I know she won't be."

"I will be, though," he assured her. "Front row with Zeke and Jase and Kelsi and the Evans. Sharpay wanted to bring a sign but I convinced her not to." His attempt got a small giggle. "Don't worry about Taylor right now. Let her calm down and think about things, then talk to her. Right now, you need to focus on Friday because you can't let her get to you."

"Do you mind if we share a best friend for the next few days?" she asked quietly, thinking of how Chad would have been the one to send Troy after her. "I sort of like him more than mine at the moment."

"I think we can figure something out," Troy teased, "but you may have a problem getting him to go shopping."

"I got you there," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but you could get me to go anywhere with you."

Dropping his chin, he kissed the spot behind her ear before moving across her jaw to her lips. Shifting on the bench, Gabriella let him win the struggle to gain entrance to her mouth as she dragged her hands through his hair. Pulling her lips away, she ran her hands down his chest, placing kisses along his collar bone as he did the same to her forehead. Gasping for breath as the clouds overhead rumbled, she didn't feel the drops of rain falling until the heavens opened and a downpour ensued. Grabbing her bag, she pulled Troy off the roof and down the stairs to the hallway and the gym.

* * *

The space beyond Gabriella's personal space bubble was a foggy blur on Friday morning. The voices of people in the hallway came in varying, pulsating tones, rarely cutting through to actually register in her brain. There had been a pep rally during the period after homeroom but Gabriella had cheered and yelled and smiled like a robot, choosing to focus inwards. She needed to calm down, she kept telling herself, but it wasn't working. She needed something, anything, to take her mind off of the looming meet that was exactly four hours and three periods away from this exact moment. She had no idea how she was supposed to survive her vocal class.

"Earth to Brie," Troy called as she slid into her desk and pulled out a pencil and a binder. "You with me here?"

"Yeah," she answered, looking up to meet his piercing blue eyes.

"You're freaking out," he observed, seeing her pale face and the way her fingers tapped anxiously against the edge of the desk without awareness. "We talked about this. Deep breath and chill."

"I'm okay now," she told him, leaning forward in her chair to where he was leaning over the back of his own chair. "Just kiss me and say what you told me last night," she demanded.

"Kissing you isn't going to get you out of your head and relaxed," he told her softly, a smile tugging his lips as she shook her head and closed the last few inches between them.

"No, you're wrong. This is exactly what I need. I've needed this all morning." He relinquished to her and tasted the apple-berry lip gloss. "This is perfect. We'll just keep doing this until the meet starts."

"That can't happen," he reminded her as the bell rang to signal the beginning of class, "so this one will just have to last for awhile."

"Mmmm," she mumbled against his lips, letting all thoughts of the track meet slip from her mind at his touch.

The meet would come but right now, she could lose herself in the present moment and remember what she had told Taylor during the harsh battle of words. No matter where she placed, Troy would be there. Everything she needed would be within reach, just like now. For the moment, Troy and his unwavering faith in her was all she needed.

* * *

_AN: Your last reviews were awesome! This chapter is more than simple filler, but it does fill that purpose too. The next two are written and I decided to break them up this way to suit the chapter headings more. I also have the next chapter of Between You & Me ready to go up over the weekend, I just want to work out some kinks in the one that will follow so I don't have any problems. I think there are between five and nine more chapters in this story before I end it. I have the ending narrowed down and just have to work out the inbetween details. On a different note, some of you have noticed the new upcoming story in my profile. I had the idea while I was away and since Between You & Me is more difficult to pace, I'm thinking that From Ashes and Blood will start when this finishes and continue through as I post for the other one. I'm working on it. Anyway, enjoy!_

_~Van_


	21. Define Winning

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty One - Define Winning**

_winning (adjective): gaining victory._

* * *

Her muscles were taut with anticipation as Gabriella bounced with anxiety while her coach returned from the registration desk with papers and equipment. Her hair was pulled back from her face but the end of the braid swung in her face as she bent over and grasped her ankles, keeping her knees straight. Righting herself, she tugged the thin material of her racing singlet as she listened to Coach call out the official rules that she knew by heart. Beside her, Chad slid his shirt over his head and sent her a sparkling grin.

"I will not have any groaning or moaning over numbers," the coach called, picking up a clipboard and handing three registration numbers to the first three students he stumbled upon. They were to be pinned to the front and back of their uniforms so that the judges could clearly see who they were. "The administrators gave me the first sixteen numbers they had so take yours and put it on without complaint."

Gabriella's fingers were shaking as she fumbled for her water bottle and removed the cap. Around her, girls were marshalling for the first relay event and her 400m sprint would come after. Chad had made an offhand comment that at least she would get it done and over with while she was rested, but Gabriella could tell that her racing heart didn't agree. Automatically, she searched the stands for Troy but only found Sharpay, Ryan and Kelsi.

"He'll be here," Chad told her unnecessarily. "Jack was driving him over as soon as class let out. Those three were just lucky enough to have last period as a free."

"I know. He'll be on time. I know it. I just wish he was here now." She tugged the end of her braid as the coach handed two numbers to Chad and continued with the rest. She tore her eyes away from the Troy-less bleachers and caught an amused smile on Chad's face. "What is it? Did I get 13 or something? Please tell me it's not 13. I do not need a bad luck symbol," she rambled, the words spilling out incoherently as her blood pounded in her ears.

"First, you need to chill. And second, you didn't get a bad luck symbol. I think it's a pretty good number but if you're not going to shut up and appreciate it than I will wear it myself," Chad told her flippantly, taking his time pinning a 015 to his chest.

"You're 15? But he said there were only sixteen and he handed the last one to-," Gabriella's brain tried to catch up to the rushing moment of realization as everything drained away. "Wait, I got-? You mean it's? I'm-?"

"Gabs, relax or I will pin this to your skin and then you'll never forgive me," Chad told her as he finished pinning the stark black number to her back before handing her the one for the front.

Staring at it, she couldn't help the smile. The bold, dark numbers of the 014 stared at her, as reassuring as if he had been there himself. Grinning, she looked up confused at her name to see the coach waving her towards the group of girls gathering for the first and only heat for the local students who had times that qualified them for the 400m sprints. Taking a breath, she shoved the pins in place and took off.

* * *

His eyes found her the moment his feet hit the fenced off area for the spectators. Pausing on the concrete, at the base of the bleachers, Troy singled out Gabriella from among the group of girls at the far end of the track. Dressed in red spandex shorts and a red and white singlet that fell over her black sports bra that he had gotten a peek at earlier, he saw her nervously play with the end of her French braid as she bounced on her toes. Around her, runners dressed in the red and white of East, blue and yellow of West, and the green and black of South chatted and stretched, eyeing the hosting team of yellow and black at the opposite end of the field where North High was marshalling. Taking his eyes of her for a moment, he located the familiar hair of Chad not far from where she stood.

"Troy!" His head snapped up to find Jason waving from a spot near the bleachers that was so thoroughly decorated in Wildcat colors that Troy wondered if someone had stolen their home seats and relocated them to North High's turf. "Hurry it up! She's going to start!"

Sure enough, Troy saw as a handful of girls broke apart from the group and took their positions at the starting blocks on the far side of the field. Troy picked up his pace, politely excusing himself as he climbed over the legs of various students and supporters before reaching his friends. He saw Chad give Gabriella a quick pat on the back as he walked past her to the East High track team bench set up outside the locker rooms. Taking a deep breath as he fell into place between Zeke and Ryan, Troy closed his eyes and sent every bit of energy he could in Gabriella's direction. No one but him knew how much she wanted this and it would break his heart to watch her lose it. Gazing at her, his eyes willing her to look up, their eyes met for a brief second before a whistle blew to warn the commencement of the 400m sprint.

"Go!" The starter pistol flared and echoed across the field and the athletes leapt at the signal.

A yell swept through the East High section of the stands as Gabriella and another team member left the majority of girls behind as they drove themselves towards the bend in the track. Three other girls kept pace with them as they rounded the curve and swept by the stretch of rubber in front of the stands. Troy was almost scared to yell her name, afraid she would look up and miss a second, but his heart won out when he saw the number on her back and he joined those beside him in screaming.

"Come on, Baby, it's all yours. Only you have this!" he yelled, heart swelling with pride as he saw her pull ahead to leave a South High girl a few steps behind as she took the lead.

"Gabs, push it!" Chad called from the team bench across the field, his voice easily recognizable to Troy despite the muffling distance.

"Gabi, run, damn it!" Sharpay added, knowing little about the sport but assuming she was safe focusing on that aspect.

"Ella, leave that chick in the dust!" someone to left of Troy called and although he knew Gabriella probably wouldn't have heard it, he recognized Caleb from among the West High crowd. He would probably take a lot of flak for cheering on the enemy team but Troy grinned.

The girls were on their final hundred meters and Troy's gut tightened as he saw how close Gabriella and a North High girl were as they rounded the last indicator on the track. The South girl had fallen back to battle with an East High freshman for fourth place and Troy knew that with that much space between them, the real battle was going to be between Gabriella and the girl from North. Gabriella was pushing the end and Troy knew that if the other girl had held back even a little bit, Gabriella wouldn't be able to stop her. Seeing them approach the finish, he caught the quick glace that Chad threw his way before focusing on Gabriella and the narrowing distance between her feet and the red line.

"Brie, push! Babe, everything you've got!" His throat was raw but all he wanted was for her to hear him; for the words to sink in. "You're almost there!"

It was as he feared when the words had barely left his mouth for the North High runner to pick up her speed and close the four pace gap and pull ahead. Troy felt his heart shatter as he watched in horror as Gabriella fell back in shock. He closed his eyes and tried to keep the tears from blurring his vision. She didn't need his disappointment to be written all over his face when she- There was roar across the crowd and his eyes snapped open to see Gabriella- his Gabriella- find speed he had thought she had drained and pull ahead to cross the line two whole seconds before her competitor. His mouth fell open and words refused to form as he tried to process the screaming crowd. Chad's madly wild run to the center of the track where the judges stood to throw himself over her shoulders and spin her around. To see her drop to her knees while searching the crowd for him.

"East High takes first and third place for the girls' 400m sprint, North High takes second and South High takes fourth. The top two runners have logged qualifying times for the New Mexico State Finals," an announcer's voice informed the crowd evenly, the end of his announcement drowned out by the yells and shouts from the benches around Troy as East High erupted in cheers.

Troy couldn't keep the grin off his face as he locked eyes with her, happiness and exhaustion worn into her smile but he wouldn't have expected anything less. He had known she could do it but the last burst of speed in the final meters had come from reserves he hadn't known she held. Even he had underestimated how much she wanted to win. Grin growing, he held two fingers to his lips and kissed them. She would understand. She would know how much he wanted to be on the turf with her. Something caught her attention and he watched as her head turned away from him and an unreadable expression appeared on his face.

"Holy cripes," Sharpay breathed from behind him, and Jason seconded her opinion as Troy saw Gabriella give a small wave to the figure standing against the fence on the far side of the field.

"About damn time," Troy whispered.

* * *

Taylor didn't know what possessed her to end the student government meeting early, run to the car her sister let her use while she was away at college, throw it into reverse and peal out of the parking lot to drive through rush hour traffic in downtown Albuquerque to reach North High in record time for someone who aced drivers' ed training. All she knew was that her argument with Gabriella hadn't sat well with her since it occurred and it wasn't because Chad or Sharpay weren't speaking to her or that Troy refused to even acknowledge her existence. It was because her best friend had been right and although Taylor wasn't an expert on apologies, she knew that this was the way to start.

She wasn't jealous, like Sharpay had suggested. Or pretentious, as Chad had told her. She wasn't even feeling left out, like Kelsi had kindly mentioned. She just didn't understand when Gabriella had become unhappy. It was weird, she thought as she tried to find a parking spot at the rival high school, she had never considered Gabriella's past and its inclusion of Troy and Chad. She knew a little bit of how they grew up- attached at the hip, Gabriella's mother had mentioned more than once- but when she moved to Albuquerque from Chicago in the ninth grade and met Gabriella, the war with Troy had already been in full swing for six months.

Gabriella wasn't one to discuss her life before meeting someone. You got what you met and everything else was revealed by accident or by older friends. It was that, Taylor decided as she self consciously checked herself in the window of her car door as she locked it, that had hurt the most out of Gabriella's words in the cafeteria. Taylor didn't know her best friend enough to know that she had been hurt or upset or resentful of Taylor's abuse of her willingness to help and she hadn't noticed that she had been turning to Troy for more than kisses and hand holding. He had become her new best friend and it cut through Taylor's heart to see that it wasn't a new development but a return to something forgotten. Regretting her decision to wear heels that day as she walked across the gravel to the entrance to the track meet, she paused at the fence as a blur of red swept past towards the bleachers.

"Go, Baby, go!" she heard Troy yell and her heart broke further but her resolution to continue hardened.

"Run, damn it!" Sharpay yelled and Taylor felt a new wave of guilt settle over her.

Sharpay knew nothing of the sport, just like Taylor had declared of herself in the cafeteria days before, but she never missed a meet. She always offered her house for post-celebration parties that weren't really parties but gatherings where Chad and Gabriella fell asleep every year before the food was even served. Pausing at the fence as the shouts got louder, Taylor watched as Gabriella fell behind and then pulled ahead, falling onto her knees just beyond the finish line.

"Go, Gabs," Taylor whispered, feeling foolish to yell when she was all by herself outside the outdoor arena.

She heard Troy yelling among their friends and saw Chad charge into Gabriella from behind, spinning her in a circle before dropping her to the ground. She saw the giant grin split her friend's face as she found Troy in the crowd and then saw the look of surprise her face as she turned her face towards the bleachers near Taylor. She noticed someone in the crowd but they didn't hold her attention long before her eyes slipped past the end of the seats and landed on Taylor who stood awkwardly outside the fence like the outsider she admitted to being. Shock and surprise crossed Gabriella's face as Taylor lifted a hand and shrugged.

She considered yelling something to her, but settled for a more discreet thumbs up. Looking to the bleachers again, Taylor saw a commotion in the Wildcat section before a black and pink clad figure parted the students like waves and began the hike towards her.

* * *

Gabriella's head was spinning. Lack of water, she said to herself as she absently considered the water bottle she had pushed aside when Chad had offered, that's what it was. Otherwise, she was dreaming. There was so much to process; so much and not enough time as she heard her coach call her to the bench so a handful of races could precede her hurdles. She had won. First place was hers. She got a spot at State. That idea had barely circled her brain once before Troy's yells and whistles drew her attention that way. He was proud. She had made him happy. He had seen her beat everyone and win.

For a moment, everything faded and she could see the smile on his face and even though she was too far away for them to be that clear, his crystal blue eyes shone in her mind. Someone yelled her name and eyes flitted over West High students before finding Caleb. It wasn't Caleb though that was standing awkwardly near the fence, in the parking lot, shifting from foot to foot and looking ready to flee at any moment.

"Taylor." Gabriella's lips moved but no sound came out and again, she regretted dismissing the water. The tumbling thoughts collided and blew into one distinct query that slipped through her lips. "What the fuck?"

The darker girl gave a small wave and then shrugged, as close to an apology as Gabriella knew she could expect in public. Another yell from the coach and Gabriella looked at Taylor again before jogging towards the bench where Chad pulled her down beside him as he stretched for the event following the current one that had just begun.

"McKessie's here?" he asked and Gabriella nodded dumbly.

"I don't understand," she told him, finally gulping down the liquid from the bottle tossed on the ground, "The things I said to her, I thought that she would-"

"Would what? Gabs, you were completely right about everything you said. Yes, it wasn't in the usual, tactful and subtle Gabriella way, but they were still right. You were right." Chad looked up to see his team standing to marshal before the relay race.

"I know, and I know it had to be said, but I didn't think she would come here. I mean, it's Taylor; she sticks her nose in the air and pretends you don't matter. She doesn't apologize and coming here is an apology. Or the start of one," Gabriella responded, looking back to the parking lot to see that the girl had disappeared only to find her in the crowd behind Troy.

"It means she's listening. Taylor's not a horrible person; she just takes things at face value. All these years, it's been you and her and now you're doing your own thing. There's nothing wrong with that, but for her it's new. After two months of not being around, you appear to be this completely different person," Chad explained, stretching and bouncing anxiously.

"Am I?" she asked, her hands feeling shaky as the tumbling and spinning thoughts returned, jumping from one thing to another. "Different?"

"Yes and no. I recognize you because you came back as the girl before you stopped hanging out with me in high school because you thought it was ruining my rep. I _like_ that girl," he insisted, "I _know _that girl. So, to me and Troy and probably Kelsi? You're the same. Taylor just needs time to learn how to do things on her own."

Gabriella nodded as the coach called for Chad to get ready. Motioning for him to go, she let her eyes be drawn to the boy across the field who was watching only her. She knew he would be trying to figure out what she was thinking and it made her smile that he still put that much effort into pushing her buttons to get his desired response. She recalled something that Haley had said when they were still on shaky ground at camp. _He knows how you think and what you need more than you do. If he didn't, it wouldn't have caused this sort of gap between you over the years. The people who know us best and call us on our shit are always the people we try to prove ourselves to._ God, that girl was always right, Gabriella thought as she locked gazes with Troy even as the pistol signalled the beginning of Chad's race.

Troy knew what she wanted and he understood what each thought behind each action was. Did she do the same for him? Or had it somehow become all onesided? No, her brain rationalized as her heart beat rapidly, you know him. Grinning, she saw each smile he had ever given her flash through her mind, picking out the emotion behind each one. She knew when he was joking or when he was mocking her by the way his smile lit his eyes. She knew that his jaw muscle twitched when he was lying and how the pulse in his neck fluttered when he was upset. She knew a smirk from a grin and a genuine smile from one that was humouring those present.

She knew that he rubbed the back of his neck when he was nervous but ran a hand over his face when he was frustrated. She knew he closed his eyes whenever someone was on his last nerve and she knew that it was better for him to yell at you and acknowledge you still breathed than to have him give you a blank stare and brush past. He only held onto a basketball like Chad did when he was unsure about something and he twisted his championship ring when he was guilty. No, Gabriella said to herself as they tore their eyes apart and looked to see an East runner hand his baton off to Chad in the last lap, she knew Troy as he knew her. He just hadn't needed her yet the way she needed him.

He was the air the let her breath and the roots that kept her grounded. It was as he continuously told her without her understanding until that moment. She needed him around even if it was to yell; she couldn't function without knowing where he was and what he was doing. She wished they were alone, in his treehouse or on her balcony where she could tell him that she finally got it. She finally knew what it felt like. Instead, she tried to focus on her teammates.

Damn, she wished she could kiss him first.

* * *

He could see the wheels in her head turning as she turned from Taylor to Chad, hurrying back to the bench so that the next event could start. Troy's attention was torn between watching Gabriella and Chad's inaudible conversation and the approach of Sharpay with Taylor in tow, looking slightly uncomfortable as she was shoved into the gap between Kelsi and Jason. She ducked her head at Troy's inquiring look and he let it go to watch as Chad left for the start of the relay event. Gabriella followed him with her eyes until they drifted back to latch on Troy's. They looked so dark to him as he gazed back, wishing he could know what she was thinking as she looked at him like that.

* * *

The distance between them was painful. Gabriella watched as Troy leaned against the railing, talking to Jason and Zeke, willing him to turn around so she wouldn't have to walk all the way to him. She loved him, yes, but her muscles screamed with abuse and her joints were comparable to the Tin Man before the oil job. Wait, she loved him? She paused, one foot not even on the ground as her thoughts actually registered.

She loved him.

Okay, she told herself, don't panic. It just slipped. That happens. And he is pretty much your best friend; you're supposed to love your friends. You can love him without admitting you're in love with him. Hold up, her brain screamed as she made another move and froze. To admit something means that there's a truth to tell. You can't admit you're in love if you're not. That's grammatically impossible.

She was in love with him.

Well, she decided, that would have to wait because right now all she wanted was to drop the tough girl act he always complained about and demand he carry her to the car. Sighing at her exhausted mind that had decided that this was the proper moment to play games, Gabriella trudged across the turf, dragging her bag behind her on the ground. He turned when she was a mere few feet away and a grin lit up his face as he hurried to take the sports bag from her hand.

"Screw the bag," she told him, dropping the handle and snaking her arms up his chest and behind his neck.

"You were amazing," he gushed, something she definitely picked up on and tucked away for later. "I have never seen you work that hard in my life. You were so damn-," his lips were covered by her hand as she leaned heavily into his chest.

"I'm tired," she mumbled, her face pressed to the fabric of his shirt. He laughed and crouched down to grab the abandoned bag as his arm kept her from falling over.

"You're mom said she had to go back to work to make up for taking this afternoon off, but she wanted you to call and let her know if you would be home tonight. Sharpay mentioned a sleepover but I just agreed to be the messenger," he told her, flinging the bag over his shoulder and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Mmmm," she replied, burrowing further into him and hooking her thumbs on his jean pockets. "Sleep."

"So is that a 'Yes, Troy, call my mom and tell her I will be passed out at home' or a 'Troy, drive me to Sharpay's so I can sleep on the floor'?" he joked, bending so he could grip her legs just under her butt and hoist her to his hips. Her head found the niche between his neck and shoulder and she buried her face there, gently breathing on his skin.

"You going?" she inquired, words garbled but still understandable.

"Maybe," he teased, tensing when he felt her lips nip the spot behind his ear. She's tired, he told himself. Tired. "Brie? What are you doing?" he asked as her nibbles turned to long drawn out kisses.

"You going?" she asked again and he smirked at her ploy. Another kiss and his hands tightened around her thighs.

"Yes."

"Mmm, 'kay," she murmured, her arm drooping lazily to his chest.

That settled, Gabriella snuggled closer and shut her eyes, ignoring how his hair tickled her face or the loping motion of his steps as they walked towards the parking lot and their friends. Chad shouted as he crossed the field, smacking Troy on the back and eyeing Gabriella who hadn't even bothered to change out of her track studs.

"Gabs, you comin' to Sharpay's?" he asked, cocking his head to wait a response.

"Don't waste your time, bro," Troy told him, shifting a hand to fish the keys out of his pocket, "She's beat. Says she's coming though."

"Mmm," came the muttered reply from Troy's shoulder and Chad grinned at how natural the two seemed.

"She's got stuff at my house. I'll bring it with me and call her mom. See you there?" Chad called, striding across to the SUV and his parents who had been in the stands. Jack Bolton was chatting with them, the family Range Rover parked beside the Danforths'.

"Yeah, man. Thanks." Troy looked at his dad and waved his free hand, gesturing to Gabriella. "Dad? Some help with the comatose runner?"

* * *

Troy felt the feather light fingertips on his skin but couldn't see her in the blackness of the Evans' rec room. One of two. Fumbling through webs of sleep, he opened heavy eyes and let his fingers clutch hers. She gasped and he chuckled sleepily before propping himself up on one elbow. Gabriella's profile was highlighted by the streetlight streaming through the window, and he ran a hand along the parts he could see as if tracing them.

"It's late," he told her, feeling her head lay on his chest.

Around them, their friends lay sprawled in various positions around the room. Chad had claimed the couch and Sharpay was on a air mattress. Ryan and Kelsi had escaped to a spare bedroom and Zeke and Jason were in sleeping bags on the floor. Taylor had declined the offer but promised to join them tomorrow to see Chad compete in the shot-put and Gabriella run a final heat for hurdles. Troy and Gabriella were on a double air mattress against the far wall, Gabriella having fallen asleep during the bickering over what toppings for how many pizzas. Sliding a hand along her bare shoulder, Troy rested his chin on the top of her head as her breath tickled his chest.

"I know; I didn't mean to wake you up," she said softly, her hand burning the skin on his abdomen as she let it rest over his belly button.

"Are you hungry? You only ate an orange before falling asleep," he told her but she shook her head in the dark.

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep," she urged and he lay his head against the pillow, instinctly inclining his head towards her.

"You too?" he asked, a finger running along the length of her coiled hair.

He missed the nod as he closed his eyes again but he could feel the fire racing through him as her limbs and torso pressed against him through the thin blanket that Sharpay had had someone rustle up. Letting his fingers dance up her arm, Troy looped an arm under her back and pulled her closer. Feeling her breath warm his skin, he let it lull him to sleep.

_

* * *

AN: You're all awesome. _

_~Van_


	22. Define Backlash

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Twenty Two- Define Backlash**

_backlash (noun): the consequence of antagonistic actions._

* * *

Gabriella crammed her books into her bag with enthusiasm on Monday morning as the bell signalled the end of class and the beginning of free period. Still floating on the elation of winning, she couldn't keep the smile off her face as students and teachers congratulated her in the hallway or classrooms. Even Ms. Darbus had offered her applause to her and Chad as she read the morning announcements. They had both qualified for State, although Gabriella's focus on the 400m sprint had cost her a placement in the hurdles after a disastrous fifth place finish on Saturday afternoon. Chad had qualified for shot-put but his relay team's final heat on Saturday had been disqualified when the final runner crossed into their opponents' lane too soon. Nothing though could put Gabriella in a bad mood yet, as she hummed under her breath while grabbing her sweatshirt off the back of her chair.

Troy leaned against the doorway, impatiently shifting from foot to foot as he waited for her gather her things and leave with him for the gym where the final cuts for basketball were taking place. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Gabriella skipped to the door only to be stopped halfway there by a tug on her strap. Turning, she was startled to see Taylor looking anxious and nervous while shooting looks in Troy's direction. Casting a confused look between the two, Gabriella shot Troy a look and waved a hand to tell him to go to the gym without her. Sighing, he left, and she focused on the student president that was playing with the pendent on her chain.

"You should have stayed the other night," Gabriella began awkwardly, "at Sharpay's. It was weird being short a person."

Her win at the track and the realizations about Troy that she had yet to voice out loud, had given Gabriella a crystal clear understanding of what she wanted. She wanted that feeling that came with running her heart out for a goal at the end. She wanted to know that she had put everything she had into something and come out the best she could, even if it wasn't first place. The race on Friday had been a catalyst for a realization that came afterwards. She could lose at State, or any other race and she knew she would survive. Not because Troy would be there, although that helped, but because she would know she hadn't held back for someone else. On Saturday night, in Troy's arms, she had promised herself that no matter what, she would never hide what she wanted so that someone else wouldn't suffer disappointment. If she came out less than the top, then so be it, but Gabriella was through thinking someone else deserved first place more than her.

"I, uh- well, it was-," Taylor seemed surprised at Gabriella's obvious invitation and acceptance of an unspoken apology. "I thought it would be weird."

"You and Shar made up, right?" Gabriella asked, shrugging, and Taylor nodded. "Well, then, it wouldn't be weird. You came to the meet, Tay. Not because you felt like you needed to but because you knew it was what I wanted. You could have held out but you didn't. Plus, you ended something you were doing early just to be there. I consider that enough."

"But I didn't apologize. Aren't you still mad that I called you another Troy Bolton Cheerleader?" Taylor looked confused at the small smile on Gabriella's face.

"Tay, you were pissed, but whatever. I want my friend back. I was stressed out and I dumped a whole bunch of things on you that you had no warning of. Yes, they were true, but I have never let you think differently. It's a change, and I'm not going back, but I think it's pretty obvious we can both compromise and move on from here." Gabriella raised an eyebrow while Taylor considered her words.

"You were right about most of it though. I always go for what I want and I expect everyone else to want the same. It just seemed that you had always been right there with me until Colorado and the next thing I know, you're trying out for basketball and auditioning for the musical," Taylor replied, wringing her hands nervously.

"Colorado changed me, but it can't all be put on Troy. It was the experience as a whole and I wouldn't change it for a moment. Yes, me and Troy found something that we had both given up on, but our friendship comes first and foremost so don't think that's going to change no matter where things go. There's a lot between us that made us open our eyes to each other but also to ourselves. I've always held out on people, never really immersing myself in relationships or getting involved on a level that could lead to being hurt. With him it's different because he calls me on my shit. He knows me, Tay, it's just a different way than you do." Her dark brown eyes caught the darker black of Taylor's and she saw a smile beginning on her friend's face as she relaxed.

"So the basketball and the musical aren't about you distancing yourself from the geeks? It's not about wanting to feel worthy? Because I know I shouldn't pay attention, but that's what people are saying," Taylor said, looking guilty. Gabriella smirked and shook her head.

"First, basketball has always been something I loved but I avoided it because of how much time with Troy it involved. It sounds stupid now, but I got a certain amount of pleasure of knowing that Jack talked about convincing me and having me on the team at home and Troy had to listen," Gabriella grinned and Taylor laughed at how long it had been since she had seen that smile. It was the one people knew signalled another attack on Troy whether he knew it was coming or not. "Second, I'm not doing musical."

"What? But Sharpay and Ryan and Kelsi are expecting you to be Maria. You deserve to be Maria," Taylor insisted, ashamed that she had ever thought to convince her friend otherwise. "I thought you wanted to have a lead?"

"I did, and I still kind of do," Gabriella admitted, catching her bottom lip between her teeth because she was still unsure about her decision, "But I really want to do well at State, and at the risk of being a cliché 'basketball captain' couple, I really want that C on my warm-up jacket for basketball. I can't do both and put all the effort I should into the musical. I promised myself that whatever I did this year, I would do my best at. So I picked basketball and track and the charity ball- if you'll still let me- and I'll let Shar or one of the underclassmen have the spotlight."

"She's going to snap her cap," Taylor warned.

"Probably," she sighed, shrugging one shoulder and sliding off the desk she had been occupying.

"And the charity ball has been your baby from the start. I would cause an uproar if I took it away from you," Taylor joked, walking in step as they left the room and started down the hallway. "What are you going to do about being on the auction list? I can't think that Troy is okay with that."

"He's not," Gabriella groaned, remembering all the times it had come up in the last month. "But I had a hard time convincing some of the girls to do it so I can't just back out now, can I?"

"I'm sure he had some sort of game plan," Taylor prodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, yeah, but I don't want to know what it is," Gabriella retorted, a scoff following her comment.

Taylor's laugh tinkled in the hallway as she left Gabriella at the door to the gym and continued up the back staircase to the library. Gabriella waited until Taylor had disappeared before pushing open the door and skirting the floor of the basketball court to the bleachers where the senior players who had already made the cuts for both teams waited. Slipping past a few of the girls, she squeezed herself in between Chad and Troy who was talking to Jason on his other side.

"You and Taylor good now?" Chad asked, and Gabriella grinned at how he was back to using the girl's first name. She nodded and he inclined his head as he lost focus and went back to the scrimmage. "Good."

Yeah, it is," she said to no one in particular as the girls' team scored a point and the coach seated in front of Gabriella marked two stars next to the list of players on his clipboard.

* * *

Troy's feet ate up the track on Tuesday afternoon as he circled the field for the second time. His father had begun the pre-season conditioning requirements for the players that included a run every second day at their own availability. Since his truck had chosen that morning to spout off steam and smoke without any intention of starting, he had been forced to grab a ride with his father and remain at school until he was finished in his office. Skirting the starting point again, Troy chanced a glance at the far end of the field where Gabriella and Chad were finishing their own warm-up for track practice. The number of people had shrunk greatly compared to the days before the opening meet, and Troy grinned with the carefree smile and giggles that erupted from Gabriella and travelled across the field to his ears.

Since Friday, on the back of her close-called win, she had a reverted back to the carefree person at camp that he had fallen for. The tension and nerves the previous week had melted away and he knew she had fought through her inner demons by the way she smiled and joked, jogging easy circles around Chad as she goaded him into a bet. Focusing on keeping his pace easy, Troy watched her from the corner of his eye. He knew he had been a part of her new resolution to put everything she had into her activities, but he also knew it had been her to figure it out in the end. He had just called her bluff; pointed out the flaws in her plan to be invisible.

She was far from invisible, he told himself as he switched to the outer lane so that the track team could have an easy route. Someone would have to be blind and deaf to not be caught by her enchanting smile or musical laughter. He knew whenever she was in the room just by the way the air around him changed. He knew she was nervous or embarrassed by the way she played with the ends of her hair. Her eyes folded into halfmoons when she was trying not to laugh and she had a freckle behind her ear. She had a smile for him and one for their friends, one for being happy and one for plotting revenge. He had countless times since returning to school how eerie it was that they could predict each other's reactions but he continued to shrug it off.

Oh, yeah, his inner self scoffed, he had fallen for her back at camp and had yet to stop. She wasn't ready to hear it yet and he wasn't ready to tell her, but he could tell himself. He loved her. The easy admission was that he loved her because of their past and what they had shared; the hard part was that it made him wonder if he would ever be able to let her go. To outsiders, he was playing the role of protector, but to the two of them, it was far from that. It was the need to share everything that had them constantly touching or sharing glances. It was as if he was lost all those times she disappeared into a different classroom or went shopping with the girls. Nearly a month into school and he still found himself pinching himself as a reminder that she was not going to appear around the corner with a smirk and a nasty retort.

Stepping off the track, he turned just in time to see her and Chad round the corner, joking and laughing as they approached him. She slowed for a minute and shared a smile with him before sending him a wink and blowing him a kiss before taking off and leaving Chad to catch up. Laughing, Troy found himself glad that under it all, she was still feisty and willing to fight back.

* * *

She heard the clicking heels on the floor before she heard the growl uttered between perfectly painted lips. Closing her eyes, Gabriella paused with her arms outstretched and the basketball balanced in her hands, and sucked in a breath to sustain her through the coming tirade. A harried voice and the flutter of footsteps followed the intruder as Gabriella turned to face her.

"Where the fuck were you!" Sharpay screamed, throwing her hands in the air and dramatically tossing her hair back. "I waited. We all waited. We gushed about how great you would be. No competition. No call-backs. You would own that stage and then you were a minute late. And then five minutes late. And then freaking Baylor informs me that you're not auditioning. Why the fuck not?!"

Gabriella knew she should have told her. Given them a heads up but she had assumed that crossing her name off the sign-up list would have been a fairly solid indicator of her intentions. They had also moved the day for auditions to Wednesday and hadn't mentioned it to her directly, so again, another hint at her predictable absence. Sighing, Gabriella tucked the ball under her arm and jutted out a hip. Those around them had formed a loose circle, Troy having appeared on the heels on an angry blonde he had seen marching down the hall minutes earlier with a mission in her eyes, and they all saw the similarity in the pose between the two girls.

"There's a lot going on," Gabriella replied evenly. "I appreciate your support and all your efforts, but I can't give you the time the play needs. It wouldn't be fair."

"Well, what am I supposed to do now? Huh?" Sharpay jeered. "I already did my victory dance and made rude comments to the understudy for my character so am I supposed to go back, apologize and then hand it over so we can have West Side Story with both tragic figures? Do I dress Ryan in a brunette wig and send him to the tanning beds so he can play both leads himself?"

"I thought maybe you could try one of the underclassmen. Give them a chance to shine, learn from you as they go. It is your last year and the department is going to crash without you." Gabriella knew how to add the perfect amount of flattery into the suggestion.

"I just- Gabs, I thought you wanted this? I thought you wanted to have the stage?" Sharpay's face lost its fury and looked confused and sad.

"I did, I do. But I really want everything else too. Maybe the winter musical? When things calm down a bit," Gabriella added, looking at the ground but keeping her voice firm.

"You're sure? You really don't want the part? Because the winter show is Beauty and the Beast and I will fight you to the death to get Belle," the blonde told her with a small smile.

"I'm sure," Gabriella assured her and the other girl sighed and turned away, frantic to now vacate the sweaty gym and smothering scent. "And Shar," she called, "I can pull off innocent bookworm over you anyday."

The challenge was set, the situation diffused, and Gabriella had held up the bargain with herself. No backing down. All or nothing. As for now, the musical fell under the 'or nothing' category, but it would get its chance. Turning back around, knowing Troy had remained and was silently watching her and trying to decide if she had hid anything from her conversation with Sharpay, Gabriella reset her stance and let the ball fly in a perfect three-pointer from her fingertips. A smile lit her lips as the ball crashed into the floor under the net and Troy dove for it, bouncing it twice and beckoning for her to try and get it back.

Even with him, everything was a challenge, a push and lesson.

* * *

Troy tucked the stapler into his pocket on Thursday morning after pounding the staples into the bulletin board and smoothing his hands over the official list of the Junior Varsity and Varsity basketball teams for both sexes. In clear, bolded type, the names of each team were listed on the clean white page still hot form his father's printer. His eyes skimming it for the tenth time that morning, looking for any typos Gabriella would point out in a heartbeat, Troy's face lit up each time he saw both their names in opposite columns. Although nothing would be official until the first game of the season, she had earned herself the temporary title of Co-captain with Keera.

Hearing the warning bell, he stepped away and went to find his locker. The charity ball board caught his attention as it did every time he walked by. The sign up list had grown more diversified since it went up at the beginning of the school year, but Troy's belly still burned at the sight of her name on the list of eligible students going on the block. Feeling a smile that many would have recognized but thought was gone, tug his lips, Troy fished a heavy black Sharpy marker out of his pocket and pulled the cap off with his teeth before drawing a heavy line through Gabriella's name. Beside it, in clear block letters, he wrote 'unavailable'.

Voices swirled around him as people flooded out of their classrooms and entered the hallway. Hastily shoving the evidence of his deed back where it had come from, he took off down the hallway before he was late. The grin was still on his face as he whistled his way into Economics, sliding into the seat he occupied in front of Gabriella. She gave him a confused look at the expression on his face but he didn't give her or Jason an answer when they asked.

She would find out soon enough, he told himself, feeling a little afraid of her reaction but brushing it off, and he would deal with her fury then. Giving her a sweet smile and brisk kiss before turning to the teacher at the front of the room, Troy hummed happily under his breath as he anticipated the reaction of East's male population.

* * *

Gabriella first caught whiff of the rumours in the girls' bathroom when a freshman asked her if the charity ball was still going to happen. Confused at what would cause doubt, Gabriella had assured her that it was still going forward. Her second was a witty comment by Sharpay that caused Gabriella to blush before considering.

"_So, that date last night with Troy Boy must have been quite the dinner and a movie," _she had quipped before brushing past after homeroom and heading towards the theatre. Gabriella had paused to try to process what she meant but came up empty. Their date to a quiet restaurant and a talk in Troy's treehouse had been a welcomed break from the drama and action in their lives, but nothing ground breaking.

Her third and final hint at something wrong came stripped of subtle questions and clues, asked point blank by Nile Fisher of the lacrosse team about whether he could fix the auction to make sure he didn't get bought by an underclassmen. When she looked surprised, his comment had been : _If you can weasel out of it, I should be able to._ That had been the final straw and turning on her heel, Gabriella had marched to the lobby of the school and scanned her bulletin board with narrowed, furious eyes until they landed on the solid black line where her name had been and the familiar scrawl of capitol letters that spelled out Troy's opinion on the matter.

Anger burned through her veins like poison and an urge that had remained hidden for several weeks flashed through her limbs. She wanted to strangle him. She wanted to watch as her slender hands wrapped themselves around his neck and choked the arrogant, cocky life out of him. Actually, she thought mercilessly, there were other things she could squeeze the life out of that may be more fulfilling. Hitching her bag higher on her shoulder, she applauded herself on wearing heels that day.

She wanted him to hear her coming. He would be listening, she was sure, because the tiny half smile in class that morning had warned her to expect something but had never considered this. She was furious and vengeful and fully irritated that he had refused to talk it out with her instead. He had the chance the night before, she had even ran some ideas for charity options past him, and never a word. Which meant it had been on impulse but she didn't care.

The soles of her shoes stomped out a rhythm as she navigated the lobby to the hall and the hall to the cafeteria where she knew he would be waiting. Listening to the rumours and the gossip and ignoring their friends' inquiries. It was freshman to junior year all over again. It was the beginning weeks on Colorado. It was the past that people had begun to forget as she flung both cafeteria doors open with her arms and stood in the entrance with one hip jutted out as her eyes scanned the room for her prey.

The doors slammed behind her with a resounding bang and every person in the room froze. The freshmen looked confused, startled by the harsh silence that swept over them, food halfway to their mouths. Everyone else looked shocked and then surprised and then terrified, dropping utensils and drink bottles and scrambling for their bags in the span of five seconds. Throwing horrified looks around, anyone who realized they were in a direct path to Troy Bolton threw themselves out of the way as Gabriella pounded her way through the path that was opening in front of her. Her bag landed on a table full of sophomores that flinched at the motion, not daring to breathe as she continued towards the table where the basketball god stood with a leg propped on a chair as his body lay folded towards Chad who had been showing him something before the tornado of an entrance shattered their carefree conversation.

"Holy shit, man, what did you do?" Chad's loud observation was heard all the way to where Gabriella was flinging chairs out of her way, eyes blazing as she focused on the blue-eyed boy at the far side of the room.

"What makes you think it was me?" Troy joked, returning her gaze with one that spoke a challenge of his own.

"It's always you. That look, that entrance? Always you," Chad reminded him, feeling lost as everything from the last month disappeared and he was left in the position of playing peacekeeper and trying to keep the room intact. "Now, what the fuck did you do to her?"

"She's now unavailable for the charity auction," he replied lazily.

"And she didn't know?" Taylor hissed, peeking out from behind the book she had been reading with Sharpay for their political science project. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because I want people to know she's off limits. Even if she goes back up, no one will touch her," Troy responded, logic and reasoning sounding weaker when he said it out loud but his resolve never wavered. She was his. Or, he realized with a shocking moment of clarity, had been before this.

"You realize that was stupid, right?" Zeke asked, seeing Gabriella get closer, "Like asinine stupid."

"Umm, maybe?" he croaked, giving her a weak smile before her black heeled shoe was placed on the chair he was using and shoved it away, causing him to fumble for his balance. "Shit."

"What the f-ing hell, Bolton," she seethed, taking measured steps until she had him backed against the railing of the stairs to the upper balcony. "What were you thinking when you decided to declare your possession of me? Am I an object? A toy? Something you can simply claim without asking. Buy it off a shelf and write your name on it for everyone to see?"

"I-uh, it was," Troy stuttered, trying to get his mind to think ahead of her. Get her to calm down, because now that he thought about it, it had been really stupid. Not the romantic claim he had thought but the actions of a possessive, jealous boyfriend.

"You what? Start talking, now! Or did someone steal your balls for basketball practice and forget to give them back. Man up, Bolton! Why did you do it?" she screamed, one hand on his chest as she held him captive against the railing.

That was what broke Troy's apologies. It was second nature to them. Fight first, contemplate later, then continue fighting. Even in Colorado, the words had flowed without restraint, without thought, and without consideration. The fourth time Gabriella slammed her hand against his chest, Troy reacted as he had a hundred times before. One large hand slid around the slender wrist and pulled her to him, the other hand landed on her hips and with one perfectly executed spin, their positions were reversed.

"I think you are perfectly aware of where my balls are, Montez," he sneered, his usual nickname having taken on too much emotional meaning for him to let it slip in anger even now, "Just like I know what this is doing to you." His face dropped lower, his lips torturing her as they hung close enough to touch but their fury with the other too much to simply jump into his arms and forget about it. His hand, still on her hip, slipped lower and her eyes slid closed for a moment before snapping open.

Their friends, minus Zeke who had already left for Jack's office, stepped back to join the masses, unfamiliar with this kind of taunting. Gabriella was clearly fighting the lightening bolts on her skin as Troy's hand slid under the hem of her shirt, scorching the skin on her tight abdomen before a quick blur of motion had him stumbling back and clutching the parts they were arguing over. Swearing and cursing everything from her existence to her shoes, Troy clutched himself and sent her a look that would have stopped anyone else in their tracks.

"This is bad," Kelsi whispered, "They can't do this. Not now."

"You try and stop them," Jason sniped, ignoring the blush on her face as he tried to figure something out.

"Don't touch me," Gabriella was growling, once again on the power side of the argument. "I don't care why you did it, you should have told me. You should have said something more than a passing comment. I wanted to hear the reason come from your lips before the whole school figured it out. I would have done it gladly if you had just said it. I've been waiting for you to actually say it and you won't."

"You know what I'll say? You're vicious," he taunted, grimacing as he straightened, determined not to be wrong. "I shouldn't have to say it. You shouldn't be so willing to get up and offer yourself to anything and anyone. Or is that what you want? You've tamed one East guy, and now you're going to next?"

He knew it went beyond what was considered allowed. He knew she was angry and this was the only way they both knew how to lash out, but it didn't stop him from bashing her with every ounce of his being. God, he loved her but right now, that was beside the point. Right now, he needed to see her crumble and admit it.

"Well, if that's how you really feel," she seethed even more, "I'll leave you to it. Please, continue. Let everyone know what you really think about me. About us. What about you? Couldn't get any of the girls in Colorado and settled for the only one stupid enough to think you were different?"

"You know what, Gabriella? Fuck Colorado. Fuck camp. Fuck the summer. Right here, right now- You're mine. You belong with me and no one is going to stand on that stage and hand _me_ money to buy you for a night. I refuse for it to happen." Troy's breath wad ragged as he gasped at the end of confession. Fury burned through his muscles that hurt with the tension as he watched her face fall from angry to disappointed.

"You had no right. None whatsoever to do it behind my back." Her voice was cold. Quiet. She stepped back and he fought to try and read her but their animosity was getting in the way. "So, fuck you, to think you get to control me like that. I'm nobody's toy. No one's." She took another step before spinning on her heel and storming back out the door in a more subdued manner.

"Gabriella? Brie!" Troy called, pushing away the corner of the table as he tried to follow her. She turned at the door, waiting for him to stop a few feet away before she met his eyes again.

"Don't follow me. Not now. Not ever. Not until you understand that even if I had stood on that stage and left with someone else, I would have still been yours. Would have. Now? God only knows what we've done here."

Then she left.


	23. Define Stranded

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. _

**Chapter Twenty Three- Define Stranded **

_stranded (adjective): left behind or cut off._

* * *

Gabriella's fury bubbled under the surface Friday night as she kept her back erect and cut her meatball into tiny pieces on her plate amidst the pasta noodles and tomato sauce. Around her, the Danforths chatted with her mother while Chad kept his mouth in a grim line. Having deduced the meatball into unappetizing portions, she pushed it to the side of her plate and moved on to evenly spreading the sauce over every noodle. There was a lull in the conversation as her mother left for the forgotten garlic bread from the kitchen and Mary Danforth turned her attention to the two sullen teens.

"You two seem quiet tonight. Busy day at school?" she inquired, elegantly twirling her pasta and Gabriella eyed her own with disdain. Chad hurried to swallow the bite in his mouth before speaking.

"Uh yeah, Mom. Lots going on and stuff," he rushed and his mother gave him an odd look.

"You too, Gabi? Your mother mentioned you've been up every morning this week to run as far as the Boltons and back for training," the woman continued politely, curious about the dark look on the girl's face.

"Yup." Gabriella's voice was short and clipped as if it took great effort to be polite. Charlie Danforth looked up from his Caesar salad and gave her a surprised look.

"Mom, Gabs and I were thinking we may sneak next door after dessert and watch a movie or something. That cool with you?" Chad asked, trying not to shoot warning looks to Gabriella who would have ignored them anyway.

"Of course. Anyone else invited? Troy? The boys?" Mary scooped up a heap of pasta as Maria breezed in from the kitchen with the bread. Both missed the look of reigned in anger that washed over Gabriella's face and the sharp intake of breath from Chad. Charlie caught it, though. "That should be fun."

"Actually, it's just me and Gabs. I think the guys are busy." Chad's voice sounded strangled as the little lie slipped through and Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Oh," his mother sounded slightly surprised but turned back to her meal. "I thought Lucy had mentioned that he would be alone for the weekend while her and Jack drove to Sacramento for a wedding tonight and tomorrow. You should ring him and see if he wants to stay with us for the weekend or you two could go up there."

"Mama, I'm sure Troy can handle the dark," Chad replied, shovelling food into his mouth at a record pace just to end the meal before Gabriella exploded. She was attacking her pasta like it was Troy's eyeballs and he wasn't sure how much longer they could keep up the charade before one of the parents called her on it. His grip on the fork tightened when Gabriella snorted into her food.

"Aw, Chad, I didn't know the little bas- Ow!" She cried out as Chad's foot connected with her shin under the table. "Don't do that!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know your leg was there," he replied innocently, looking back to his parents. "I think it will just be me and Gabs tonight."

"If you're sure," Mary replied, seeing the look Maria was giving her daughter and the way her own son kept glaring at the quiet girl on the other end.

"Definitely sure," Chad growled as Gabriella returned the vicious kick.

Frustrated with everyone around her, Gabriella shoved her plate away and pushed back her chair. Excusing herself to the bathroom, she raced upstairs and slammed the door behind her. Pacing in front of the bathtub, she tried to calm the emotions surging through her. She was beyond mad. Beyond infuriated. But she was also hurt and confused that Troy hadn't told her and let her find out on her own through the school gossip mill. Further than that, although she would only admit it to the deepest recesses of her mind and heart, she hated the words they had said to each other. She felt like she was drowning as she tried to sort herself out. Finally, no decision reached except that if she didn't return someone would come looking for her, she splashed water on her face and ran a hand through her hair before heading back to the kitchen and dinner.

* * *

Troy contemplated the note on the kitchen table from his parents for the third time before pulling a frozen pizza from the freezer and popping it in the oven, spinning dials until the timer and temperature were properly set. He could go to Gabriella's for supper and face not only her wrath but possible death while no one was looking, or he could sit at home alone on a Friday night and eat pizza and wallow in a mix between self criticism and frustration with her. He chose the latter. Reaching for a plate, he wandered up to his room to retrieve his cell phone before returning to the kitchen. Letting his thumb dance along the keys, he scrolled through his phone list for the number he wanted.

"Hey, man, what's up?" Chad said, trying to sound nonchalant as he answered. Troy scrunched his eyebrows together and sighed, glancing at the clock to tell him it was way past dinner for most people.

"What are you up to? I was thinking some x-box or we could check out some of the new releases at the complex in town," Troy responded, checking his pizza and willing it to hurry up. He had spent the evening shooting baskets until he could barely lift his arms, but he could still think only of her.

"Oh, actually, something came up." Troy rolled his eyes at his friend's inability to lie even through the phone. Something clicked when he heard a muffled voice call to Chad and he sighed.

"She's there, isn't she?" he asked, flopping onto a stool and twirling a knife as the cavern in his stomach opened again and his appetite waned slightly.

"Uh, who? No one's here," Chad insisted, almost convincing Troy until Gabriella threatened to put the Princess Bride in the DVD player if he didn't hurry it up and he swore.

"Princess Bride? Enjoy that by yourself, Dude," Troy snapped, ticked that Chad was back to playing peacemaker and keeping them separated. He could handle hearing her name. He wasn't going to lose it.

"Nah, Gabs is too mad at you to sit through Princess Bride. Just watch, she'll choose X-Men or Underworld or something equally violent." Chad's voice caught at the end, when Troy chuckled.

"Whatever. I guess X-Box is out?" he asked, pulling out the pizza and looking at it despairingly.

"Yeah, sorry, man. Next time. You're not mad are you? Because I could try and pawn her off on Sharpay or something."

"No, it's fine. She's mad at me and you'll let her vent," Troy assured him, not knowing how he was remaining so calm when he blood was pounding and his fists were clenched.

"You're not pissed at her? You're not going to go off again about how she over reacts and makes a big deal about everything?" Chad seemed slightly taken aback, having expected another repeat of the argument that had taken place during the vocal class while the teacher slumped in his desk, defeated.

"No, I am. But I'm being the big person and giving her space. She'll come around," Troy insisted, more than Chad thought to be necessary.

"Dude, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. She is mad. Like Mama Bear in the berry patch mad. Like kicked hornets' nest mad. Like your Dad last year when he found out about the party. If you wait for her to 'come around', you'll be eighty and in a wheelchair," Chad informed him before another threat came from the living room. "Look, I have to go before she really does choose the stupid Buttercup chick, but just think about apologizing? Or something?"

"Sure, but I'm waiting for the flying pigs first," Troy retorted, his even tone disintegrating as Chad relayed her impossible anger at him. "Go watch the stupid movie with Brie before I consider showing up for a rematch of today."

"You're still calling her Brie," Chad teased.

"Well, yeah," Troy growled, disliking the name on anyone else's lips and hating his inner resolve for it. "What else am I supposed to call her?"

Slamming his cell phone on the countertop at the sound of the dial tone, he glared at his pizza before glaring at his cell phone. His fingers itched to grab it and dial her number but instead he threw it across the room. She was an expert at driving him insane, whether it was with her temper or her fingers trailing across his skin, and he was nearing the limit. He hated that part of him wanted to apologize and grovel for a peace treaty, but the other part spurned him for contemplating backing down. He never backed down to Gabriella. They hit impasses, dead ends, ran out of things to say before repeating their favourite insults, but never would one of them willingly cave to the other. How was he supposed to do it now? How could she expect him to do it now?

* * *

He wasn't going to give in any time in the near future, Gabriella realized on Saturday morning as she reached the intersection three blocks over where she normally met Troy for their morning run. It had been stupid of her to expect him to be there like he always was, but the tiny traitorous part of her mind that said she wanted him back had told her that maybe he would show up. Maybe they would scream and yell in the middle of the road, waking up the neighbours, and then maybe he would tell how stupid he had been.

Not likely, she knew. He was a stubborn ass when he wanted to be- which was most of the time. He was cocky and arrogant and impulsive and possessive. He made her blood fizzle in a way that made her want to scream and kiss him at the same time. The way his fingers dove into her hair every chance he got made her want to tear into him like there was no escape. She hated this sense of losing control that he always gave her. It wasn't something new. Their history had the two of them battling for an edge, for power, for control over something neither understood or could label. Neither ever won. Neither ever gave in and that thought brought tears to her eyes. If they were repeating history, then everything would go back to the way it was. They would yell and fight and sling hurtful words that they meant but went deeper than anyone realized. They would clear rooms and separate friends.

Slumping to the curb, Gabriella rested her face in her hands and tried to push back the tears and feel the anger. Searching her heart, she tried to find a smidgen of hate, of resentment, of anger to throw at the picture of a smiling Troy in her head. She had never cried for Troy Bolton. She had sworn it would never happen and yet, here she was, crying on the sidewalk for a boy that she wanted to strangle as much as she wanted to kiss him. She ignored the sound of feet on the pavement as someone ran by, knowing it wouldn't be him because she had given him no reason to come.

Wiping a hand across her eyes, she stood shakily and turned back to her house, her feet heavier and clumsy as she jogged. He wouldn't come to her, she told the naive part of her that argued otherwise. He would wait for her. He would try to prove that he had done nothing wrong, or at least, nothing to warrant having his balls kicked in. He would wait for her and she wasn't ready to go to him.

* * *

Chad was in hell. Somehow, during the last hour, he had died and been sent to hell. He wasn't sure why he deserved it, perhaps the West Knights had an in with Satan or Saint Peter or whoever had ticked his name off on the list, but there he was. Groaning, he let his forehead drop to the wooden surface of Jason's kitchen table as the voices in the basement rose and fell but never dropped below a level defined as 'bloody loud' by Sharpay.

"This is your fault," Jason grumbled from his perch on the countertop, Zeke beside him and Kelsi rolling her eyes at Taylor from the opposite counter.

"My fault? How is this my fault? You invited them!" Chad snapped, his head coming up from despair and glaring at the fellow basketball player. Holding his hand up as if it were a cell phone, he screwed up his face and proceeded to relay the earlier conversation. "Yo, Dude, Man, Zeke and I rented the new soccer wii and you should totally come try it out," he mimicked, returning the annoyed gaze from Jason. "Where in that sentence does it say 'Gabs is here, don't invite Troy who is currently at your house'?"

"She wasn't here then! She was shopping with the girls when Sharpay called and Zeke invited her. I didn't know!" Jason retorted, crossing his arms as Kelsi shot him a sympathetic glance.

"Look, guys, don't argue over this. Maybe if we're lucky, they will get it all out of their system and make up before tomorrow morning," Kelsi suggested, seeing Taylor nod who had been quiet until then. Chad rolled his eyes in disbelief.

The afternoon had started off well for him. Gabriella had fallen asleep on the couch the night before after another movie night and Chad's mom had stuffed pancakes down her throat before sending her home on Sunday morning. Chad had showered and called Troy to come play hoops in the backyard, something he readily agreed upon. Two hours and lots of sweat and water later, Jason had called with the infamous lines to come hang out. There had been twenty minutes of peace before the sound of girlish laughter trickled up the front path and the front door swung open as Sharpay traipsed in, leading Taylor, Kelsi and Gabriella along with dozens of bags. The laughs had died when Mrs. Cross directed them to the basement and Gabriella had caught sight of Troy. She had tripped and thus the name slinging and insults and yelling had ensued.

"You are so- ugh- so-gah!" Gabriella's voice pounded up the stairs and echoed in the kitchen.

"So what? Come on, Gabriella! I am so what? Fantastic? Awesome? Hot? Gorgeous? No? How about we start repeating the overly used list you love? Cocky? Arrogant? Infuriating? Devious? Prick-like? That's one of my favourites, you know. How can I be like a prick but not be one?" Troy was met with an exasperated shriek leaving her throat. "Babe, you'd better calm down or you'll get wrinkles on the stone pretty face of yours."

"Me like stone? At least my heart isn't made of stone, you pompous idiot!" she yelled back.

"Pompous idiot? Me? You need to look in a mirror. Did you go to the mall to find a modelling gig? Who the hell wears stilettos like those to shop?" he taunted, and Chad groaned loud enough for them to hear. "Shut up! This is your fault!"

"Don't yell at him. I would have left you to your fun except you had to make that stupid remark about falling down the stairs and flashing people with my skirt. Do you have to constantly refer to me as a slut?" She reprimanded and Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Why is this argument stuck on repeat?" she asked, eyeing Jason and Kelsi before letting her gaze fall on Chad who gave her a weak grin at her attempt to lighten the mood. Down stairs, something hit the wall before Troy swore loudly.

"You hit me with your freaking shoe! Do you want that thing to take out my eye? Is that what you want?" Troy hollered, anger poisoning his blood as he saw the smirk their friends upstairs knew would be playing on her lips.

"You called me a slut!"

"No, I didn't, I said you like to put yourself on display!"

"You implied it!"

"You implied you would like me to be sterile when you nailed me in the gonads the other day!"

"Because you were trying to seduce me in the cafeteria"

"Oh, you know you liked it," Jason mimicked as the same words left Troy's mouth below them and Chad smirked. It really was a repetitive argument.

"Ugh, I have no idea what goes through your head sometimes! Do you wake up in the morning and decide on a quota of stupid things to do or say in a day?" Gabriella snapped, before another sound reached their ears. "Don't you dare do that!"

"What? If they don't have pikes for heels, you can't maim me for life!"

"Don't touch my shoes!" she screamed and then the sound of a hand slapping flesh indicated that a referee was needed.

Chad peeled himself from the kitchen chair and hit the steps, followed closely by the others, breaking into the room to find Gabriella clutching her shoes to her chest while Troy had a hand clapped to his cheek. Heat burned in his eyes as he watched her expression harden to hide the pain. Sighing, Chad stepped between them, raising his hands in a mock sign of peace. His face showed no joking though as he looked them each in the eye.

"That is enough. Gabs, grab your stuff and Taylor will take you home. You have five minutes before Troy and I follow so I suggest you get your ass in gear. Troy, stop whining about your precious face and find your jacket. We're going home," Chad commanded, whipping his head around to hear Gabriella's snicker when he called Troy on his undude-like behaviour. "Gabs, you're down to four minutes and forty-six seconds."

"Bye, Bolton," she taunted, wiggling her fingers at him as Kelsi firmly ushered her up the stairs. In the basement, Chad lunged to keep Troy from stalking after her.

* * *

Jack Bolton lazily answered the phone on his desk in his office when it shrilled with the ring specially reserved for Principal Matsui's office. Putting down the marker in his hand, he cradled the receiver between his shoulder and neck. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he wondered why the locker rooms were so quiet considering the third period should have ended five minutes ago and Troy's block of PE was soon starting. His gut tightened as he remembered how many times this exact scene had played out before.

"Yes, sir," he answered, scrubbing his face in a way his son tended to copy. "Of course, sir." Pause. "I understand." Pause. "No, no need to call her mother. I will handle it." Pause. "I'll be right there."

Replacing the receiver, Jack wondered what the pattern emerging since last Friday meant. He had been informed of the cafeteria scene taking place when Zeke Baylor appeared in his office door but it had ended before he got there to break Troy and Gabriella apart. He had spent the weekend away but had come home to an angry Troy throwing basketballs at the fence and claiming the flu when his mother mentioned a barbeque at the Danforths' with Maria and Gabriella. Jack had been saddened to realize that they may have slipped back to old habits without even understanding his son had done to provoke Gabriella into war.

That realization had come three days ago, and now it was Wednesday with no sign of a truce in sight. Darbus had collapsed into a chair in the staff room after homeroom ended where Chad and Sharpay had kept the two from killing each other with a stapler. Jack hadn't believed it at first, but he had seen the marks where Troy had actually attempted to staple her hand to the table _'to see if it would stop her from throwing things_'. They were lucky their teachers hadn't reported anything to Matsui.

Tuesday had found Chad keeping an eye on Gabriella while he and the basketball team ran suicides in the center of the track ring while Gabriella helped a junior with his javelin practice. Jack, too, was watching to make sure that the javelin didn't accidently _slip_ like the chocolate milk carton in the cafeteria had earlier in the day. They had completed the day with an argument on the sidewalk outside school where the principal issued a warning but had no jurisdiction.

Then there was the latest phone call. The principal had scanned the afternoon announcement list only to find that Gabriella had asked that the radio crew announce a few choice words regarding Troy's wish to ask out Penny Hooper, one of the cheerleaders who had been following him around since the ninth grade. The principal had caught it just before going to air. Sighing, as he entered the office to find the two of them seated at opposite ends of the greeting area, he glared until they felt enough shame to look away.

"Dad, this is not my fault, she totally-," Troy stopped talking with a sharp look from his father.

"The two of you in the gym now. You will run suicides until one of you pukes," he ordered, pointing in the direction of the hallway and the gym. "Now."

"We both know it's going to Montez, over here," Troy retorted, dragging himself from the plastic chair and stalking out.

"Troy Alexander, one more word and I will let them suspend you!" Jack hollered before turning to Gabriella. "You, I'm disappointed in."

"Yeah, well, he's no treat either," she shot back angrily, following Troy to the gym.

Shaking his head, Jack wondered what it would take.

* * *

Troy decided that as much as he disliked detention with Ms. Darbus, he despised it with Gabriella as his detention buddy. Slumping into the hard seat of his desk in the drama room, he doodled in the margins of his notebook while the batty old woman lectured them on respect and decency. Gazing out the window, he sighed heavily as he wished for the day to end so they could move onto Friday and the weekend. It had been the longest week of his life, he thought, not risking a glance behind him but feeling Gabriella burn holes through the back of his head with her devil-stare.

It was Thursday and keeping with the tradition of the week, another battle in the War on Love as Sharpay was rudely calling it, had erupted in the cafeteria when Troy dropped his yogurt in Gabriella's lap. It had led to another announcement incident when she used Sharpay to distract the radio guys so she could blare Troy's modified solo act from the talent show at camp through the speakers. Running out of retaliation ideas that could work before the end of the day, Troy stole a frog from the biology lab and put the dead carcass in her locker.

"Stop glaring at me," Troy hissed, his shoulders tensing with the heat of her gaze.

"Stop gloating," she snapped, shoving the back of his chair with her foot.

"Oh, yeah, I'm gloating about detention. Gee, Brie, this is totally what I had hoped would happen," he shot back, sucking in a loud breath when her foot hit the back of his chair again. "Stop doing that!"

"She left you idiot. Are you bailing or not?" he glanced up to see that Darbus had opened the joining doors between her classroom and the next and wandered inside.

"I'm not risking that. My dad will kill me; but feel free to leave me behind," he goaded, turning to give her a dazzling smile that sickened her. Grimacing, she slunk into her desk.

"You're so lame. What happened to the dare devil who wanted to staple my hand to the desk? Did Daddy yell at you last night?" she taunted, touching a nerve because it wasn't very often that Troy and his father butted heads.

"Yes, but at least there was someone there to yell at me." He instantly regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. He didn't have to turn in his seat to know what her reaction would be and he didn't have the guts to see it. Her mother was on another business trip and she resented his parents being called to act as her parents in the office.

"Screw you, Bolton," she hissed, voice thick, "I'm leaving."

"You'll get in shit," he told her, telling himself he didn't care. "Darbus will crucify you even if you are her favourite."

"Yeah, well, it's better than staying and sharing air with you. I'll take my chances."

Troy toyed with the idea of calling out to her and guaranteeing to catch the teacher's attention next door, but instead he stayed where he was and waited for his punishment to be over so he could go home and listen to his father yell some more.

* * *

Seven days, Gabriella told herself as she played with the orange slices on her tray during lunch on Friday. Seven days since he smiled at her and meant it. Seven days since he had kissed her or touched in affection and not to push her buttons. Seven days since she had touched his hair or enjoyed the sparks that still danced along their skin when they touched. Seven days of fighting and yelling and hurting each other. Seven days of the longest week of her life. Resting her head in her hand as she tried to listen to the voices of those around her, she tried not to notice Troy's absence. She knew where he was and it took every fibre of her being to stay in the cafeteria and not go to the roof to find him. Everything she had kept her in the seat and kept her from begging him to let it go and fix it. Everything she had not to tell him she didn't care anymore if only they could stop tearing her heart apart.

In the beginning, she had wanted an apology. Then she would have settled for ignoring it had happened and moving on. Then she wanted him to just say something nice to her. Now, all she wanted was to hold him and apologize for over reacting and saying any word he ever hated. And he wouldn't talk to her. She had arrived that morning, ready to be polite. Ignore the barbs and try to find what they had forgotten, but instead she hadn't been met with cocky smirks or arrogant swaggers. No insults or sarcastic comments. She had gotten nothing.

Troy was ignoring her. It was like she didn't exist. It was like he had found a new way to kill her. Shoving her tray away, she didn't answer her friends as she gathered her things and left the cafeteria. Her feet took her past the gym and the auditorium, to the science wing a metal door that led to the roof. Her fingers grasped the cool metal of the handle and her heart stopped for a minute before cowardice and not anger wrapped around her and she let her hand fall. She couldn't do it. She didn't know how.

Sighing, she turned her back to the gateway to forgiveness and walked away, determined to not let him know how much it hurt.


	24. Define Oblivion

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty Four- Define Oblivion**

_oblivion (noun): the condition or quality of being completely forgotten._

* * *

Troy sat hunched in his desk, furiously sketching away in his notebook as the final minutes of Friday's last class dwindled away on the clock behind the teacher's desk. The calculator sat on the corner of his desk, the only evidence that he had actually completed work that period, while the text book remained shut and his notebook was actually for English. He ignored the curious glances that his classmates sent him, whispering behind their hands as if he didn't know they were discussing him and Gabriella. The whole school was discussing him and Gabriella. Their friends. Their parents. Their teachers. He would almost be giddy with the attention if it wasn't so painful to hear her name.

He had lied to her at camp and when they got home. He had told her that he needed her even if it meant they were fighting. He had assured her with insistent whispers that no matter how they acted, he would be happy as long as she was around. It was a lie. She was around and they were fighting but he was so far from being happy it felt like someone had ripped out his heart and replaced it with a block of ice that trickled into his bloodstream and made him cold. Everything was different this time. They had fought before. Constantly. It was a history they would probably never get rid of, but this time it wasn't intellectually stimulating or a game he was determined to win. It was murderous and dangerous and every word that left his mouth, every phrase uttered in her direction, every act of retaliation, felt like his soul was shredding. It _hurt_.

She had been his, he had known that, yet he needed confirmation. He needed to know that no one would take her away. He needed to protect her and she wanted nothing of it. She wanted to stand on her own feet, he realized. She wanted to let people know that she could handle the flirtatious looks and quests for a date. She could handle the football players or the soccer players or the chess club members. She had no problem telling them she was unavailable, and Troy had realized it too late. She wanted to proudly profess her feelings without him forcing her hand. She wanted him to claim her while she stood beside him and his stupid masculine pride had gotten in the way. He had forgotten her temper. He had forgotten her recent lack of tolerance for being taken for granted and he of all people should have known that.

He was avoiding her, he knew, and no matter how many times Chad urged him to talk to her, Troy couldn't bring himself to face her. Pride, yes, stood in the way, but so did guilt. She had deserved more from him. He was supposed to know her like no other and he had made the biggest mistake of all. More than that, he was afraid. If it was clearly written in the stars that he could drag himself to her locker and grovel for forgiveness at her feet and all would be pushed aside, Troy would gladly do it. He could live with the fire in her eyes or the sadness in her face as he explained himself, if he knew the outcome would spin them back to last week. But it wasn't that simple, and Troy was terrified that she would look him in the eye and tell him to screw off and never come back.

Someone shook his shoulder and he looked up from the pencil smudges around the familiar eyes that should be shaded brown, and saw Chad giving him an exasperated look while students filed past him. Glancing towards the front of the room, Troy realized the bell must have rung and clumsily got to his feet. Shoving his things into the backpack at his feet, he stood and followed Chad to their lockers in the next hallway. A flash of brown hair caught his eye and he tried to keep his eyes from following Gabriella as she disappeared down the hallway.

"Dude, you need to pull yourself together. You look like she's the one ignoring you and not the other way around," Chad told him, pulling open the locker door and taking out his basketball before chucking in his math text. "I told you, just go up and to her and tell her you want it to end."

"You don't get it," Troy insisted, "I don't know how."

"Well, it happened once, it can happen again." The answer seemed simple but Troy knew the difference. This was not going to be solved by standing in the rain and screaming at each other. There was no one threatening to fire them or counsellors glaring them into submission. At East, it was so expected that no one thought to demand it end. Even the principal gave them weary sighs and a hand flick before sending them to detention.

"It's not the same. Colorado was different. What happened was different. I promised her things would be different here. I promised that she deserved to make her own decisions and stop following what everyone expected. I promised her I would never let her go. I broke them all. They were all lies that if I were to repeat them now, would taste like ashes in my mouth." Troy lifted his head from the cool steel of the locker door and slammed it before looking at Chad. "Even if I want it to end, I've ruined everything. At least this way she stays angry instead of heartbroken."

"Dude, if you weren't avoiding eye contact with her so much, you would see that she's not angry. She misses you," Chad told him, leading the way to the parking lot. "What you need is a night away from all of this. Zara's throwing a party tonight for no particular reason. Come with us. Have fun. Try to spend one night not obsessing."

"I don't want to run in to her drunk," Troy insisted, finding the flash of black and chrome as her car left the parking lot. "Or at all. I don't want to fight with her, that's why I've been avoiding her all day."

"She won't be there. Why would she? She has no connection to Jimmie and it's not for basketball or anything. She'll probably just curl up at home or at Taylor's with Sharpay. Kelsi and Ryan have plans. So just us guys, some drinks, and we will make sure you don't do anything stupid." Chad shot his friend a pleading look. "You know you want to."

"Fine," Troy sighed, giving in easier than he would have admitted. "But someone else is driving."

"We're crashing at Zeke's across the street. His parents are in Texas visiting his grandmother for her birthday or something."

"Alright. I'll meet you there."

* * *

Gabriella eyed the black dress on Sharpay's bed with distaste before looking back at the doorway where the actress stood with a pout on her perfectly pink painted lips. One hand was resting on a white clad hip while the other dangled a pair of silver strappy heels by the buckles as she twirled them on her finger. Her usually straight and flowing hair was pinned up in a simple bun with her bangs perfectly angled over one eyebrow. Her pink clutch had been tossed on the desk across the room. She looked ready for a hot night out, decked out in a clingy white dress and gold heels. Not what Gabriella had expected when she had called earlier.

"You asked if I wanted to do something," she reminded Sharpay who looked back innocently. "I thought you meant a movie or ice cream. Or the pool at Lava Springs."

"This is something," Sharpay told her, leaving the doorpost and striding to the bed where she placed the shoes on the comforter and turned to rummage through a drawer of clutches, purses and oversized wallets. "It's a party. You deserve a party."

"I'm not really in the mood," Gabriella insisted, smoothing an invisible wrinkle from the fabric and shaking her head. "Can't we just make popcorn or something?"

"No, you need to get your mind off of this week. I know it sucks and I may not know how you feel, but I know you're upset about it. This time it's different and you're not enjoying it like before. You look lost and sad and ready to burst into tears. And enough is enough. He will come around, Gabs, and you will get to tell him whatever it is that needs to be told between you two, but you need to take a step back and just relax. Come with me to the party." Sharpay's pout became even fuller as she begged her with black lashed eyes. "Please?"

"Shar, please, I don't want to fight with him but I can't stand to see him stare at the wall over my head anymore," Gabriella tried bargaining.

"Maybe he won't be there?" Sharpay replied, riffling through her jewellery box.

"Shar, Zeke is the one who invited you. Of course Troy will be there." Gabriella flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Fine, I'll make a deal with you. We show up and mingle for half an hour. If something happens or you want to leave, we will leave to come back here and watch any movie you want. Pinkie swear," Sharpay promised.

"Ice cream," Gabriella added, voicing her acceptance without letting Sharpay know she had won directly. "I demand ice cream if something happens."

"Sure. With cherries and sprinkles. Anything else?" She was all but bouncing on her toes as Gabriella unzipped her sweater and moved to pull her tank top over her head. She paused for a moment, taking advantage of her friend's eagerness.

"The shoes. I want them to wear on Monday," she said, seeing the perfect outfit in her head before remembering that Troy wouldn't care.

"Done. Now do you have a bra or do you need to borrow one?"

Sighing, Gabriella shoved her out the door and stripped down before pulling the dress over her head and doing up the hidden zipper on the side. Sharpay reappeared in time for a classic messy upsweep of curls and barely-there-but-I-spent-so-much-time-doing-it makeup. Shoving her feet into the shoes and buckling the straps with anxious fingers, she prayed that she wasn't making a mistake.

* * *

Troy was monitoring the time by the amount of drinks sliding down his throat instead of the clock on his cell phone or the one on the Zaras' kitchen microwave. Tipping his head back further, he let his fifth drink push reality further away. Looking into the depths of the plastic cup, he pondered if the contents would last the distance between his current position in the kitchen and the keg set up in the backyard- compliments of Jimmie's older brother at U of A who had promised his parents quality supervision of his little brother while they spent the weekend in Arizona with their oldest child.

Deciding he could survive the drought of fifteen feet, Troy gripped the cup close and weaved his way through the hallway, living room, and out onto the patio where the majority of people were. He stumbled once, an amazing feat considering how utterly smashed he was. Deciding that the night could not continue as long as he was able to judge his current state, he made his way to the makeshift bar on the other side and gestured for another one. A dark hand plucked it from his grasp and he spun angrily to see Chad easing out of the crowd.

"Man! What the hell?" he yelled, pushing aside two giggly girls from the drama club to find his friend and drink. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Dude, you can have it back," Chad told him, handing it over but not before pushing Troy into a lawn chair on the ground beside him. "But I don't want you passing out behind a tree or something. Just stay put and don't move. I have to find Jason before Heidi Kline chokes him with her tongue."

"Sure, whatever," Troy conceded, gripping the cup overflowing with foamy, amber liquid. "I've made a new friend right here."

"Riiiiiight," Chad said, drawing out the word while giving Troy a pointed look that he missed, "We'll talk about that when I get back."

Not even noticing that Chad had disappeared, Troy sipped his drink as he watched the crowd of people milling around his chair. Stupid, happy couples, grinding in the corners as if it were a strip club or a brothel; drunken frat boys who had brought the keg on their truck and stuck around to keep things in line, eyeing the senior girls grouped around pool in tiny bathing suits; and Zeke and Sharpay sitting on a gazebo swing on the opposite side of the pool. Wait, what?! His foggy brain was screaming at him as he half rose from his chair, not certain that he was seeing right. A firm hand shoved him back down.

"Don't even think about it," Chad told him as a highly buzzed Jason collapsed into another chair at Troy's feet. He ignored them, searching the crowd for her. She had to be there. He had to tell her. He had to find her. He hadn't realized he had said it out loud until Chad answered him. "We agreed to not let you do anything stupid."

"It's not stupid. It makes perfect sense. I go up to her and tell her she's fucking amazing. That I am an idiot who loves her no matter what slutty shoes she wears," Troy babbled, not noticing the amused look on Chad and Jason's face.

"And that is why you're not going to talk to her," Chad joked and Troy let out a heavy breath.

"You don't understand. None of you get it." He sat up and spun the half-empty cup in his hands as he saw a pretty girl approach Jason and drag him to the dance floor inside.

"Get what?" Chad asked, thinking maybe Troy wasn't as drunk as he appeared, judging by the look of concentration on his face. There was a moment where Chad waited for the deep, heartfelt explanation that loomed.

"I need to take a leak."

Shoving his cup into Chad's unexpecting hand, he pushed himself off the lawn chair. Staggering as the alcohol flooded his veins and his head spun, he gripped Chad's bushy head before shaking his vision back to its fuzzy gaze and leaving in search of a bathroom.

* * *

Gabriella felt naked as she felt the eyes of everyone in the room rake her up and down. Judgement filled their eyes as they tried to decide if she was there to make Troy jealous or if she was unaware of his presence. Fighting off the urge to tug the short hem of her dress, she kept her head high as Sharpay led the way to the back where Zeke had informed her- via text- he was waiting for them. Passing the kitchen and the living room, she spied Jason shoving his tongue down Heidi Kline's throat and his hands up her shirt. Her breath hitched as she scanned the room, torn between needing to see Troy and hoping he didn't know she was there.

"Come, Gabs," Sharpay called, tugging her wrist as she pulled her down the steps beside the patio door that led to the basement.

"I thought Zeke was in the backyard?" Gabriella questioned, ignoring the shivers that ran up her spine as she felt the stares travel up her legs when she descended the steps.

"He is, but I don't want to go through the drunken millions on the deck. There's a back door down here that leads around the pool." Sharpay called out greetings and threw waves to the lucky few gathered around a pool table. "You coming?"

"Actually, I think I'll chill here with Martha," Gabriella told her, shooting a warning to Martha to do nothing but agree.

"Hey, Gabi! You want to play on my team?" the scholastic decathlon champion turned cheerleader turned prom committee chair offered.

Sharpay shrugged and left for the backyard, leaving Gabriella behind to gratefully accept a pool stick from Martha. Stepping up to break first, she tried to ignore the conversations around her. At one point, Chad appeared at the top of the stairs, catching her glimpse for a moment before disappearing back upstairs. When the first half hour passed, and she hadn't run crying to Sharpay, she accepted a sealed bottle of water from Jimmie Zara who had appeared briefly. When an hour had gone by, she had lost two games in a row and was on her way to ruining Martha's winning streak with a third loss.

"Yo, Gabi," Eric Masters called, sidling up beside her and setting his drink aside, "Let me show you some tips."

"Excuse me?" she asked, stiffening as he let his arms circle around her waist and grasp the stick in her hands. He wasn't touching her but the limited space made it hard to breathe. "Actually, Eric, I think I'm-"

"See, if you bend over the table further, you're more in line with the ball," he continued, nudging her hips back until she felt them connect with his own.

"You know what? How about you play this game and give the others some challenge. I think it's time for a drink," she insisted, turning to shove the pool stick into his hands and slipping out from under his arm. "Martha, you want anything?"

The other girl shook her head and went back to lining up her shot as Gabriella fled upstairs. People called out to her but none of them was the one she wanted to hear. It had been stupid to think a night out at a party with mainly his friends would be a way to clear her head and let things settle. Finding the kitchen, Gabriella contemplated what to do. She hadn't wanted anything stronger than water; it was just an excuse to escape Eric's invasion of space.

Brain whirling, she knew not to go to the patio for much needed air and space because all indicators and flashing red signs told her that was where she would find Troy. Instead, she found the steps leading to the second floor and remembered that Jimmie always locked the door to his room during parties. Finding the door, she inserted a bobbypin from her coif into the lock and jiggled the handle, scanning the hallway from intruders. Hearing the lock pop, she was about to slip inside when the door across the hall swung open and light spilled down the dark hallway. A girl with long dark hair that Gabriella recognized as Jimmie's girlfriend, Cassie, exited the bathroom and Gabriella froze. She glared at Gabriella when she saw her standing in the hallway.

"Ugh, of course you would show up now. Perfect timing. He's all yours," she told a startled Gabriella with a frustrated wave of her hand towards the bathroom she had vacated where the sound of someone puking was audible.

"I don't know-," Gabriella trailed off as the girl left for the stairs, leaving the mystery occupant alone.

Sighing, she shut Jimmie's door again and walked the few steps across the hall. Pushing open the door, she was surprised at how impassive her face remained as her gaze swept the white tile floor to the jean and black polo clad figure hunched over the toilet, hands grasping the edge as he threw up seven cups of beer and three jell-o shots. His blue eyes looked dull as he turned his head to see her standing against the door frame, before turning back to the toilet bowl.

"Hey," he whispered, and then promptly threw up.

* * *

After finding the bathroom, Troy wandered aimlessly into the kitchen where the cheerleaders were fawning over little medicine cups filled with red jell-o. Only mildly concerned about Chad and his babysitting duties for the evening, Troy flashed all the girls a smile and gladly accepted a vodka infused shot from one of the scantily clad dancers. Tilting his head back, he let it burn as it slid down his throat. Two more later, he was oblivious to anyone besides Chad who had discovered him after forty-five minutes.

"You're sure you're okay?" he asked, grimly noticing that Troy's pupils were wildly dilated. Glancing around, he spotted a petite cheerleader with long brown hair and wearing a green dress. "Cassie? Can you get him upstairs while I try to find Zeke and Jason? We're crashing across the street and Zeke isn't ready to leave yet."

"Dude, Chadster," Troy slurred, awkwardly slinging an arm around his friend's shoulders as Jimmie's girlfriend reluctantly agreed to get him upstairs, "Why are you ruining the fun? You need one of these. One of these little friggers and everything doesn't seem so bad."

"I agree," Chad told him, "but I think you should save some for the girls who made them. Just follow Cassie, okay?"

"Oh, girls, I am so sorry. Drink them all, if you want," he professed, eyes bright and unfocused and Chad steered him out of the room.

"Troy, I need you to go upstairs," Chad insisted, wondering if he was going to need help climbing the staircase but Troy surprised him again by easily plodding up halfway before beckoning for Cassie to follow. "Thanks, Cass."

"Yeah, whatever. Me and the champion of beer and the court can handle it," she said, turning to see Troy staring at her with his head tilted and his mouth partially open. "Come on, Troy, up the steps, Buddy."

"You're pretty," he told her, still staring and Cassie felt a slight thrill at being noticed by the captain despite her affection for her boyfriend. It was extinguished when he continued. "You have hair like Gabriella."

Rolling her eyes, she got him to the upstairs hallway before he announced his need to pee loud enough that Cassie took a step back. Instead though, upon reaching the bathroom, he puked in the sink before Cassie could steer him to the toilet. Folded over the cool porcelain, Troy shut his eyes as everything that had burned going down came back up. The acidic taste induced another set of heaves and he could vaguely hear Cassie swearing as she soaked a face cloth in the sink muttering about Gabriella.

"I'm going to find Chad," she told him, pushing open the door to see Gabriella standing awkwardly in the hallway. "Ugh, of course you would show up now. Perfect timing. He's all yours," she exclaimed, leaving the door open as Troy proceeded to puke again behind her.

Troy, only minutely more sober than five seconds ago, felt her presence before actually turning to see her standing in the doorway. She was wearing a stunning black dress that hit above her knees and hugged all the right curves without revealing more than necessary. Her hair was up and her makeup was only slightly smudged, but he couldn't fully appreciate it because at the moment her perfume was hitting his nose and his stomach curled.

"Hey," he managed feebly and he swore there was a smile in her eyes before her perfume became nauseating. Acid rose in his throat and he knelt closer before another spell overtook him.

* * *

There was a split second battle between her head and her heart as Gabriella fought to decide between selfish pride and the need to touch him. Hold him. Do everything he had ever done for her. The memory of her standing at the door to the roof flashed through her head, followed by Troy's acknowledgement of her existence, before instinct kicked in and she stepped into the bathroom. Softly closing the door behind her, she picked up the face cloth from the sink where Cassie had dropped it and ran it under the tap while Troy continued to heave. Crouching down beside him, she ran her hands through his sticky hair and felt her heart pound in her chest as he leaned into her touch.

"Shhh," she soothed, running the cloth over his face and neck as he rested his head in his hands. "Just try to take slow breaths."

"God, you don't deserve this," Troy choked out, voice raw from stomach acid, "You don't have to stay."

"Don't talk, okay? You want some water?" she asked quietly, shoving a glass under the bathroom tap and holding it until he pushed himself against the side of the tub and took it from her. "Small sips or you'll be back at it again."

"I'm not even sure you're real," he told her, handing back the cup and throwing his head back. "You are real, right? Not some sick delusion my drunken mind has created?"

"I'm here," she replied, rinsing out the facecloth while shooting quick glances at him.

"How?" he asked before diving for the toilet again, gagging. She frowned, crouching behind him to rub circles on his back.

"Sharpay dragged me; said I needed something to take my mind off us," she answered him, her voice low and even. "Geez, Babe, how much did you drink?"

"A lot," he answered, collapsing backwards to where she was waiting. He rested the back of his head on her shoulder while she rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. "I wanted to forget the look on your face everytime we fought. I thought I could wipe it out and stop feeling guilty. It didn't work. Nothing worked. We would fight and the whole time I wanted to scream at you to shut up and kiss me."

"I don't care about any of that," she insisted, letting one hand trail to his hair where her fingertips massaged his scalp. "I just want to forget it happened."

"But, we-," he shook his head, desperately trying to cling to a single thought in his still fuzzy mind. "I had this whole speech planned. All I needed to do was find the courage to tell you."

"Don't do it now. I'll listen to it when you're sober," she assured him, hesitating before placing a kiss on the top of his head, letting the feeling of having him this close consume every fibre of her being as her arms gripped his and his hand held onto her wrist as if he was afraid she would flee given the chance.

"But what if-," his voice slurred slightly and he tried to focus on her soft murmurings in his ear as he tried to fight the nausea. He was still drunk but he was trying to desperately cement these moments in his head so he could remember tomorrow. He didn't want to forget anything. It was all important. Except the vomit. They could both have done without that part.

"It doesn't matter. None of it matters. We matter," she repeated his words to him as a small smile grew on his face and his eyelids drooped. She reached out and lowered the toilet seat, flushing the handle without shifting his position. "We will always matter."

"You're not drunk," he realized, the idea had never registered that she could be doing all this, saying all these things, while stone cold sober. "Doesn't it hurt? Feeling everything?"

"Like hell," she chuckled, rubbing circles with her thumbs across his biceps, "but I didn't want to do something stupid."

"I can be stupid," he told her, cocking his head but still keeping his eyes closed. Everything seemed so warm and the nausea had subsided to a dull queasy feeling. "I shouldn't have been so stupid."

"I shouldn't have kicked you in the balls," she replied bluntly, wondering how much of the conversation he would actually remember in the morning. "And I should have taken your feelings seriously about the ball."

"I just want you to be mine. Only mine. I don't want to share," he told her petulantly and she was reminded that for all his wise comments and acknowledgements, he was still drunk off his ass. "You're mine again, right?"

"I was always yours," she reminded him, feeling his breath tickle her arm.

The silence in the white room stretched on, with only the vibrations of the music from downstairs and the cries of intoxicated students wafted through the tiny open window on the opposite wall. She couldn't reach her phone, but Gabriella guessed the time was pushing the early hours after midnight. Shifting her foot, she tensed when Troy pressed closer, his hands wrapping around her bent knees and gripping hard.

"Troy?" she called, "Babe? You need a bed." Getting no answer, she peered down at the sleeping boy between her knees and let out an uneasy breath. "If you let go, we can go home. You can crash at my place for the night."

"Mine," he murmured, turning slightly so his head fell into the crook of her elbow, exposing his profile to her hungry eyes. "She said she's mine."

Gabriella realized then that he needed her as much as she needed him. He had been just as terrified to losing her. Just as scared and just as selfishly difficult. She also realized that the precious moments of coherency were over and she was alone to make any decisions. Her lips lifted at the corners, a private smile that not even he got to see. It was the one she kept for only him, but for when he wasn't looking and she could just watch from a distance. He gave so much away during those moments.

"I never stopped," she whispered back to him, not expecting an answer but feeling an overwhelming need to say it. "Ever. Even when you broke my shoe or slammed the stapler down. Although that kinda hurt."

Leaning back, she pondered whether to call Chad and Sharpay. She really should let them know that Troy was passed out in a bathroom with her. She should, but she wanted the extra moments with him with his guard completely gone. She wanted to savour forgiveness and being forgiven. She wanted to revel in the feeling of being complete, something she hadn't felt in days. She wanted to hold him, watch his perfect face, feel the weight of him within the space only he ever got to enter. Brushing a strand of hair from his eyes, her fingers danced across his forehead and he buried his head closer to her chest.

"Love you," came the almost inaudible, incoherent words.

They escaped through his lips like gas in a gas leak, almost silent and definitely unexpected, but Gabriella had no doubt in her mind or heart that they were more meaningful than anything ever uttered between them. Vulnerable and without control, he had said them. Even if he didn't remember, and told her months from that point, Gabriella let her heart pound with happiness at the knowledge that came with them. No secrets, no lies. He loved her.

"You too."

* * *

_AN: You have all been so fabulous through the last few chapters. Keep it up, and only a handul left to go. _

_~Van_


	25. Define Morning

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty Five- Define Morning**

_morning (noun): a new beginning._

* * *

Troy woke on Saturday morning to a pounding headache, a scratchy throat and a swollen tongue, in a room he vaguely recalled being in once before. Rolling from his stomach to his side, he cringed away from the bright window and buried his head in the pillow. A hundred thoughts whipped and slammed through his brain and it hurt too much to separate them into actual facts. Shivering slightly, he reached an arm down and pulled the blankets over his naked torso and tried to ward off the coming moment where sleep would leave him for complete consciousness.

Groaning as the jackhammer in his brain moved to a higher setting, Troy gripped the pillow in his fists and tried to calm the rolling in his stomach that was less from alcohol and more from the migraine. He could hear voices below, most likely in Zeke's kitchen, and he tried to recall how he had gotten from Jimmie's party to his current bedroom across the street. It was Zeke's guestroom, he knew that, he just couldn't piece together what had occurred after....

Oh, God, had he really done jell-o shots with the cheerleaders? That was the final clear memory and then everything else seemed ridiculously fuzzy and surreal. Thinking was too hard, but he could remember flashes of Cassie and Chad taking him upstairs and then there had been a lot of puking followed by...Well, he wasn't sure what had followed that because it was nearly impossible and idealistic of him to think that Gabriella had been in the bathroom with him. Yet, that was what his sore head was telling him. If it was true, and the alcohol hadn't stripped that from him, then everything was back to being perfect and he could run to her house right now and kiss her senseless while apologizing for vomiting in her presence. If it wasn't then fate was cruel and he would have to wait until he didn't feel like screaming to run to her and apologize anyway. He liked the idea that everything had been worked out. Call him lazy, but at the moment it seemed like less effort.

The sun took the moment to hide behind a random cloud and the room dulled to a reasonable brightness that allowed Troy to push himself up from the unfamiliar mattress and swing his legs over the edge until stiff muscles connected with the hardwood floor. His elbows rested on his knees as he put his head in his hands, massaging his temples as he waited for the floor to stop moving. Feeling he was safe, he stood and stepped towards the door only to trip and sprawl across the rug. Looking behind him, he located the offending object and picked it up with one shaky hand.

A shoe. A silvery, spikey heeled, strappy shoe with three buckles and straps that crissed and crossed so many times he wondered how anyone could get them on in the first place. Turning it in his hands, he looked around until he found the other one, tossed haphazardly under the night stand. Deciding now was a good time to wake up and find out what the hell had happened the night before, Troy let his gaze wander the room. He found his shoes by the closet and what looked to be his clothes on a chair. A silver clutch was opened on the dresser with its contents scattered everywhere. Pulling himself off the floor with more effort than he thought he possessed, he tossed the shoe to join its mate and moved to the dresser.

No wallet or ID, no credit cards or health card. Nothing told him who the girl was. He tried to remember what the Gabriella in his head had been wearing but that was tough on a normal day let alone when he was drunk and puking. He fingered the silver chain and two bangles, a hair clip and some bobby pins. None of it looked familiar and he dreaded what that meant. A thud on the stairs and pounding steps reached his ears before a knock on the door warned an intruder.

"Yo, Hoops, we got food going on downstairs if you're game," Chad announced, surprised to see his friend up and functioning like a sober person, "Although I would suggest putting some clothes on first." Troy looked confused before glancing down and seeing that he was clad in nothing more than a pair of basketball shorts with Zeke's number on them. He shot a questioning look at Chad who looked horrified and threw his hands up. "Hey, don't look at me. It's not like I undressed you or something. I was going to just toss you on the bed and let you sleep but she insisted on making you comfortable."

"She?" Troy asked, the sound coming out in a hoarse whisper and Chad frowned.

"You don't remember? Dude, you need to pull it together unless you want to ruin what happened last night. Gabriella would kill you if after all that, you forgot," he warned, looking behind him to make sure no one had followed him upstairs.

"Brie? She's- Wait, that was all real? She actually talked to me? I thought that was all in my head, like some weird hallucination from mixing shots or something," Troy blurted out, trying to piece together all the moments he had brushed away. "She was really there in the bathroom? She really- Oh, God, I puked on her."

"Well, you didn't puke on her," Chad informed him, taking guilty delight in Troy's obvious discomfort. "But she did manage to make sure you aimed for the toilet and then let you pass out on her. And then she helped us get your drunken ass back here and dressed you. Either way, you owe her."

"Did I say anything to her? Anything stupid? Anything she's mad about or that I didn't mean?" He could recall most of their conversation, knowing now that it wasn't a dream but real and tangible. "Is she still mad at me?"

"Uh, no, surprisingly," Chad admitted, confused about that himself because all the prodding and bribing that morning had resulted in Gabriella revealing nothing about what had actually happened between them. "She's all floaty and smiley and happy. Whatever, you did, it worked. She keeps mentioning how drunk people are more honest than anyone else and she has no problem with you getting hammered."

"Seriously? You have no idea. I woke up this morning and thought I had dreamt every moment with her and then I fell over girls' shoes and found a purse and thought I had done something really stupid," Troy sank back on the bed, relief lessening the headache.

"Hey!" Chad said, indignant, "I said I wouldn't let you do that. Jason and Zeke said it too, but they got equally distracted. But you and Gabster can work all this out later. Right now, I want food and she won't give it to me until you get down there."

Grinning, Troy grabbed a t-shirt from the bag he had brought but looked like it hadn't been touched, pulling it over his head and straightening it as he followed Chad out the door and down to the first floor kitchen where the voices from earlier had come from. Heads looked up and the laughs stopped as the two entered, Troy's eyes searching for only one person.

"Hey, you're up," Gabriella said, looking over her shoulder while her back remained to the door as she scooped pancakes onto a plate for the table as Zeke scrambled eggs. "How do you feel?"

"Shitty," he admitted, watching her for any sign of hesitation or anxiety, coming up empty as she smiled at him. "Where are my chocolate chip pancakes?" he asked, sounding slightly whiney as Chad, Jason and Sharpay dove for the small stack.

"You don't get any," Zeke called from the stove as Gabriella pushed the toaster down and added bacon to the table. "Montez's orders."

"What? Why?" Troy cried, and Chad tried not laugh with his mouthful and received death glares from Sharpay in the process.

"Because you're hungover and pancakes always make you sick when you're in that state. So you, Hotshot, get eggs and toast. Enjoy," Gabriella announced, sliding a plate under his nose with a flourish before skipping back to see to her own breakfast.

"Stupid vodka jell-o," Troy grumbled, not noticing the smile tugging at Gabriella's lips as she picked up that he could remember at least that far. She didn't want to pry and dig into his memory, knowing that even if he didn't recall everything now, he probably would later on. He obviously knew that they had reached a truce in their argument but Chad could have done that while getting him from upstairs.

"Blame the beer too, man," Jason added, ignoring the dark look Troy sent him as he loaded bacon into his mouth. "It had its fun time in your system too."

"Haha," Troy retorted, thinking it was anything but, "Was I the only one completely smashed?"

"No, the cheerleaders were in the pool fully clothed when we left- seeing as how you graciously left them fifty jell-o shots," Sharpay replied indignantly, nose in the air. "And Eric Masters was pretty trashed after Gabs rejected him in front of all his friends."

"He hit on you?" Troy spit through gritted his teeth. His headache seemed to be intensifying. He tried not to be annoyed at the patronizing sigh that escaped the dark haired girl who was sitting on the counter behind him.

"He tried to teach me to play pool and I didn't like how close he was. I didn't reject him, I told him I needed a drink and never came back," she supplied, watching his face relax.

"How long did it take him to figure out you weren't going to?" Troy asked, failing at hiding his obnoxious smile.

"Not long. Cassie appeared in the basement looking for Chad and told him that Gabriella was in the bathroom with you," Sharpay told him, looking slightly devious and not at all sorry for poor Eric's ego. "His buddies had been harassing him all night for hitting on your girl."

"Shar," Gabriella interrupted quietly, "not here, please."

"Fine," she sighed, blowing her bangs away from her face and nibbling a piece of bacon. "I'll wait until you've done the whole 'awkward after fight chat'."

"Have you had any Tylenol yet?" Gabriella asked quietly, seeing the tense lines around Troy's eyes. When he shook his head, she glanced at Zeke before standing and putting her plate in the sink. "Come on, I'll find you some," she offered, waiting for him to leave the table and follow her out of the room and down the hallway.

"Whoa, what?" Sharpay called, lowering her fork and look perplexed. "I didn't expect you to do it _now_."

* * *

Gabriella was quiet as she led Troy to the back of the house, locating the bathroom at the end of the hallway. They slipped inside and she waited for him to shut the door silently before opening the medicine cabinet in search of pain killers. He took a seat on the counter, holding the cabinet door open for her as pill bottles rattled. Reading the labels, she scanned each one. Pausing with Gravol in her hand, she heard him clear his throat and she peeked around the door to see his face.

"We don't have to do this now," she told him, replacing the bottle and pulling out another one for back pain. "There's no rush."

"Yes, there is," he insisted, letting the door close as she shook to red tablets into her palm from the right bottle and passed them to him. "Because I seriously want to kiss you, but I don't think I should until we talk."

"We talked last night," she said, running the water and filling a glass for him.

"Brie, I was smashed. I remember most of what I said- I think- but you deserve more than the drunken ramblings of a high school boy. What we did was as horrific as anything we could have and I need you know I am sorry." He had swallowed the pills and left the glass abandoned on the countertop. Reaching a hand to gently grip her upper arm, he tugged her to the space between his knees, grinning as she looked up. "I shouldn't have crossed your name off the list, I know that. I think I knew it the minute I did it but didn't want to seem so weak that I had to undo it. Does that make sense? I should have talked to you, asked you straight out to take your name down. All I had to do was ask but I felt some stupid masculine need to claim you like a prize. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right."

"Troy-," she tried to stop him, not needing to hear any of it because it didn't matter anymore.

"No, I need to get this out. This is what I wanted to tell you last night but there was the puking and then I thought you were a hallucination sent to torture me...," he sucked in a breath. "Everything I said to you this week, it doesn't matter if I meant it at the time or if it was true, I shouldn't have said them. God, Brie, I attempted to staple your hand to the desk."

"Okay, that may have been a little extreme," she admitted, biting her lip to keep the smile from spreading. He looked so guilty she knew it wouldn't be fair to laugh at him.

"We fight, Brie, it's what we do when we don't agree and it turns into world war three at East for days or a week. This has been the longest week of my life. Every moment I would be so close to just telling you to end it and then you would say or do something and the anger would be so overwhelming I would lash out." His eyes were burning bright as he tried to make her understand. "I can't do that again. I know we'll fight and disagree but I can't go another day where we act like we hate each other."

"Okay," she said simply, letting a fingertip trail down the side of his face as she watched him.

"That's it?" he asked, incredulous.

"You're right," she replied, shrugging as she moved her hands to his thighs and dug her fingers in. "About everything. I knew you hated the idea of me doing the auction and I should have at least discussed it with you when we got back to school instead of pushing it to the back and telling myself I would deal with it later. That was selfish."

"I called you a slut. Repeatedly," he had thought she was so easy going the night before because she felt bad for him being intoxicated. He had expected some resistance. "I mean, I'm sorry, but I guess I was expecting more anger or something."

"We both said things and I hated it. I hated that every word I said was meant to hurt you. That everything I did was to get a negative reaction. It's not a game anymore, I refuse to gamble with us again. We need to work on it, but it can't happen like this again. I thought I was dying, Troy." She met his eyes and tried to put everything behind her words. "I just want to forget about it. Everything. Pretend it's last week and just keep going."

"What do we do the next time?" he asked quietly, anxiety gripping his heart.

"We try to talk. Even if it takes awhile, we need to know not to wait so long for the other to come back. I was ready so many times and scared that if I did, you would turn me away. Yesterday, when you were ignoring me, I was lost. I thought I had lost you again, forever." She stepped closer and felt his arms come around her, drawing her in.

"I didn't want to fight. I thought if I didn't say anything, neither would you. If I didn't say it enough last night or right now, I am so sorry for doing that," he repeated, bringing his face to her hair and inhaling her scent.

"You said everything you needed to last night," she assured him, smiling at how easy it had been the night before to just forget the fight and worry about him. "What you said was honest and unguarded. You were drunk but you didn't lie. You meant every word and for that, I will always consider it enough."

They were silent for several minutes, letting the peaceful feeling of just being together settle over them. Gabriella's hands hadn't moved from his thighs, and his strong hands dug into her waist. Her face was hidden in his t-shirt, while his cheek rested on the top of her head. They could hear their friends down the hall, arguing over who was going to do the dishes. Sighing, Troy lifted his head and pushed her away so he could see her face.

There an extra beat to both their heartbeats as she tilted her head up to meet his lips that were coming down. His hands dragged her closer, moving to cup her face as she braced herself on his chest, the heat radiating up her arms. It started gently, his apology, but Gabriella had waited for his sobriety to return for far too long and after a few seconds, the kiss intensified to a level they hadn't needed in a long time. It tasted like desperation and need and addiction. Troy bent into it like a man on fire, his hands creating a steel cage that kept her as close as possible. She felt his need and his passion, his forgiveness and his hunger. Only breathing broke them apart.

"So," he began, licking his lips as Gabriella fingered the cotton of his shirt, "Did I say anything else last night? Tell you any secrets? Rat out Chad for something? Make any hints at sex- I've been known to do that with just about anyone when there's enough liquor involved."

A sly smile spread across her face as she toyed with how much to tell him. She knew he wouldn't remember confessing his love to her since he had been a second away from unconsciousness, but she didn't know if she should tell him or wait for him to tell her on his own time. She hadn't realized how long she had stood in front of him, grinning with a secret as he waited for her answer, until he hurried to find out what she knew.

"Seriously? I said something, didn't I? Was it about Chad or something?" He panicked when he heard her giggle and shake her head. "Come on, Babe, tell me. What was it?"

"I don't want to freak you out," she finally told him, an edge of worry in her voice as she looked into his face.

"It won't, please, just tell me. Was it stupid? I already apologized for anything stupid."

"It wasn't stupid," she told him, sinking her teeth into her lip until she felt resistance. "You kinda told me something. You were half asleep and I moved and it just slipped out."

"Whatever it was, I-," he stopped at the smile on her face and instantly he knew what was coming before the words left her mouth.

"You said you loved me," she said quietly, breaking eye contact. Maybe it had been a slip. Maybe he hadn't meant it.

"Oh, God," he whispered, horrified. "I don't know- I mean I-Shit," he swore, not able to connect words. Swallowing, he took a breath. "That wasn't how I would have liked you to find out."

"I figured getting drunk and saying it before passing out hadn't been the plan," she drawled, a small smile tilting her features. "Look, before you get even more freaked out, I meant what I said before. You were drunk but everything was the truth. If you're not ready to say it, then I understand and we'll wait. But-"

"But? Wait, you weren't freaked out?" he realized, mouth gaping. He had thought she would run but here she was doing the opposite.

"Troy," she said softly, reaching up to latch onto the hair behind his ears, "I said it back."

"No."

"Yes. I knew you wouldn't remember but you had just said it and I have been avoiding admitting it to myself since the track meet, so even though you were never supposed to know, I had to say it. For both of us. And I meant it." She looked into his eyes nervously.

"God, you have no idea what that means," he whispered harshly, afraid to ruin the perfection created in the moment as his lips crashed into hers again.

* * *

The voices in the kitchen stopped when Troy and Gabriella returned from the bathroom. Chad and Jason were scouring frying pans while Zeke explained to Sharpay what a whisk was for. Troy raised an eyebrow but said nothing, taking a seat at the table and pulling Gabriella into his lap. The combination of Tylenol and food had done their jobs in lessening the hangover and even if it hadn't, nothing could have gotten rid of the smile on his face.

"Someone's happy," Zeke observed, "You didn't do anything weird in my bathroom, did you?"

"Eww, man, no," Troy replied, scrunching his nose while Gabriella burst out laughing. "Just talked."

"You made out, didn't you? Hot makeup kisses?" Sharpay pried, examining Gabriella like she was a newly discovered plant. "Never mind, I can tell anyway."

"Whatever, Shar," Gabriella sighed, rolling her eyes, "We were thinking of heading to my place for a movie marathon this afternoon. Anyone want in?"

"You two don't just want alone time?" Zeke asked, glancing at Chad who pretended he didn't understand the tones of the question.

"We've been fighting all week," Troy explained, shrugging, "We thought it would be nice for you guys to be in the same room with us and not want to kill us."

"The man has a point," Jason said, placing his dishes in the cupboard and leaning back. "I'm game."

"Me too," Chad added. "You call the others?"

"Taylor is at the library to study with the decathlon team, but she may come after. Kelsi and Ryan are coming." Gabriella pulled the bowl of fruit closer, picking out a grape and popping it in her mouth. When she went for another one, Troy had it between his fingers as an offering.

"I'll come if you stop that disgusting crap," Sharpay announced. "And Gabs, I want my shoes back."

"Those were yours?" Troy asked, somewhat loudly and Chad smirked.

"She lent them to me last night. Actually, everything was hers. I showed up in my pyjamas to watch a movie and she shoved a dress at me," Gabriella said, taking another grape from his hands and chewing slowly. "Why?"

"Nothing. Doesn't matter." Troy felt Gabriella shrug it off while Sharpay smirked.

"Oh, and Shar?" Gabriella called, "You said I could wear them Monday."

The blonde looked ready to protest before she watched Troy brush a strand of hair behind Gabriella's ear and she gave in. Nodding, she turned back to help Zeke put away the placemats before they all went to pack up their things to head home before going to Gabriella's. When the room was empty except for Troy and Gabriella, she linked her hands behind his head and grinned.

"So will I be seeing you tomorrow morning at the corner of Maple and Oak?" she asked happily.

"You know I went running by there every morning?" he told her, seeing the surprise on her face, "But I always made sure I was early or late by just enough that you wouldn't be there."

"I missed you."

That was all he needed to know that after every fight, every disagreement, every disaster- she would want him to come back. And she would come back to meet him in the middle.

* * *

_AN: You would think this chapter would be easy....wrong. It's been revised half a dozen times so it's slightly shorter than usual but I wanted it to stand alone. Anyway, review, review...._

_~van_


	26. Define Aftershock

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty Six- Define Aftershock**

_aftershock (noun): a series of minor tremors following the effects of an earthquake._

* * *

Troy wore a wide grin as he bounced Chad's basketball against the asphalt of the parking lot in front of East High as school threatened to resume for another week. Behind him, the last of the buses were pulling away and leaving their cargo to meander towards the front stairs, while the parking lot continued to fill rapidly as students arrived. Chad chattered about the upcoming track and field meet for state finals that would be taking place the coming weekend at West High, once in awhile stealing the ball before passing it back.

Students lounging against the steps were loudly discussing their weekends, but halted their conversation as the two basketball players approached. Troy felt eyes latch onto him and follow his movements as he climbed one stair at a time and pulled open the door. Before the door even shut behind him, the talk had begun again in loud tones. Shaking his head at the typical flow of gossip, he led the way to his locker, scanning the corridors and lockers for a glimpse of Gabriella. Spinning his lock, he pulled the door open while tossing the ball to Chad to lock up during homeroom.

"So, you supposed to meet her somewhere?" Chad asked from a few lockers down the row, shoving his jacket inside before muting his phone and dropping it in his pocket.

"Just homeroom. She came in early to go over some changes in the charity proposal so Taylor could present it to Matsui this afternoon," Troy answered, trying to ignore the horribly hushed whispers coming from the girls behind him as they leaned against a locker belonging to the girlfriend of Eric Masters' best friend, Drew Chambers.

"Ignore them," Chad said, noticing the tense shoulders and following Troy's gaze to the backs of the girls who hadn't realized they were easily heard.

Shrugging, Troy pulled out his phone to silence the ringer but noticed the flashing indicator for a missed call or text. Hitting the button, he noticed two missed calls from Gabriella and a text that he opened to read. _I ran into Coach in the hallway and he said we're doing individual timings during practice this afternoon. I need someone not on the team to hold the stopwatch. Are you available?,_ he read, smiling slightly as he texted her back, hoping she wasn't already in class with her phone off. His fingers hovered over the send button as the girls' conversation behind him became more audible as the hallway crowds thinned with the pending warning bell.

"So Eric just hit on her? No hinting or anything? Just full out-" Troy cringed at the voice and the person implicated by the word 'her'.

"-Yup, no question about it. He didn't even last a minute and she was giving him some lame excuse about getting a drink-" Another cut in, sounding excited as she informed her friend of any missed party moments.

"So they're back together?" Troy clenched his fingers around the handle of his locker door as Chad shot him a look.

"All I know is Danforth and Baylor were searching for a smashed Bolton while Evans was trying to find Gabriella. I can do the math." Troy was starting hate Girl Number One and her remarkable abundance of facts.

"And Abby said that she saw them at Angel's Ice Cream Palace last night," Girl Number Two added.

"Together? Alone?" Troy whipped his head around and narrowed his eyes at the first girl to notice.

"Yes, we were alone," he growled, silencing everyone in the hallway. "Now, if you could kindly mind your own business and focus on your own problems, I would appreciate it."

"Come on, Hoops," Chad said gently, nudging his ribs with his elbow and jerking a thumb towards homeroom. "We're going to be late."

Sighing, Troy rubbed the back of his neck as he shoved his phone away and followed his friend down the hall. Passing the girls' bathroom, he noticed a couple of girls who he thought had been grouped around the locker but must have left before he interrupted them, ducking inside the entrance. Glancing at his watch, he hurried to beat the warning bell to class so he could have a few extra minutes with Gabriella before different periods separated them until lunch.

* * *

It was the oddly quiet in the hallway as Gabriella left the library and headed down the stairs. Students quietly talked in groups, scattered along the corridors between their classes and their lockers. Puzzled, she gripped the strap on her bag as she walked through the lobby and made her way to her locker. The metal door banged noisily as it swung around and she tossed her bag inside before retrieving a textbook and a binder. Pulling a pen from the holder on the inside of her door, she let the door slam shut just as the warning bell sounded. The noise level picked up as she made her way towards the bathroom, students rushing to make it to their classes on time.

Entering the girls' bathroom down the hall from homeroom, Gabriella was about to walk around the creatively twisted entryway that required no door, when a slender white arm reached out and yanked her into a hidden cranny. Whipping her head around as she was pulled back and down, Gabriella's eyes widened at the sight of Sharpay and Kelsi crouched on the ground behind her. Sharpay pressed a finger to her lips and motioned for Gabriella to be quiet while Kelsi rolled her eyes.

"Just listen," the blonde hissed, barely audible to Gabriella let alone the high, girlish voices inside the actual bathroom.

"Why-" A hand clapped around her mouth as the sound of running water echoed in the room and Gabriella finally focused on eavesdropping.

"I can't believe I missed that," a voice said but Gabriella couldn't place it. A door slammed against a stall and something fell to the ground as a second voice swore.

"I told you it was bound to be interesting, but you insisted on staying home," someone sneered.

"I had to babysit my brother, hardly a choice," the first speaker snapped, "But still, he was that drunk?"

"Oh yeah, Eric was bombed. Your boy had to haul his butt home after he passed out on the patio." It suddenly clicked in Gabriella's head and she realized that at least one of the speakers was Sara Prescott, whose boyfriend was a good friend of Eric Masters.

"So she just left him standing there with a pool stick and never came back?" Sara asked, amusement in her voice. "That's priceless. I've been telling him for weeks to give up and move on. She's been off limits since school started." It was then that Gabriella realized they were talking about her. Shooting a look behind her, Sharpay winked and continued to listen.

"Yeah, well, Eric's never been one to listen," the other girl replied and the water ran again in the sink.

"So where did she go? Home?" Sara asked and her friend laughed.

"God, no. She was gone for like fifteen minutes before Danforth came downstairs to find Jason Cross," the girl replied. "Anyway, five seconds go by and Cassie yells down to tell him that Troy was puking his guts up in the bathroom upstairs."

"What does that have to do with Gabriella? Wait, did she even know he was there?"

"I don't know but let me finish. Cassie came to tell Chad that she had left Troy in Gabriella's hands to deal with him," the other girl was practically squealing and the only thing keeping Gabriella in place was Sharpay's polished hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, so they made up?" Sara asked, "I always miss the good parties."

"Well, no one really knows what happened. Their friends are all being quiet and whispery, but Devon told me that he helped Zeke carry Jason across the street and when he was coming back, Gabriella and Chad were both carrying Troy."

"Thank all that's holy," Sara declared, their footsteps clicking as they walked towards the exit. "I've had it with the bomb shelter aura around here. You don't realize how much them getting along affects everyone until you are eating lunch outside for a week just to avoid them." The bell sounded above Gabriella's head and Sara voiced the curse word in Gabriella's head. "I am so late."

"You have Darbus for homeroom?" the friend asked as they brushed dangerously close to Gabriella's spot. "Text me if anything good happens."

The moment they were gone, Gabriella scrambled from her spot and spun to see Sharpay brushing off the back of her skirt. Kelsi straightened her shorts and hitched her bag up higher, looking nervously between her two friends. Gabriella took a breath before expelling it slowly to diminish her frustration.

"Was that necessary?" she growled, mad that not only had she listened to two people gossip about her, but she still needed to pee and was now officially late to class.

"I wanted to know what they were saying. At first I just heard Eric's name and thought it would be funny but they were discussing you just as you walked in. You almost ruined it," she added evenly, ignoring the sparks in Gabriella's eyes.

"Well, excuse me for needing to pee," she exclaimed before throwing her arms in the air and turning on her heel to leave the room.

"Well, don't you still need to?" Sharpay called, her heels hitting the tiles as she caught up.

"Shar, I'm late for class. You are late for class. Kelsi is late for class. Peeing will come later," Gabriella ground out, her hand on the handle of the homeroom class door. She could see Troy watching for her through the small window.

"Ugh, you're always uptight if you don't see Troy before homeroom. Fix that for tomorrow, would you?" Sharpay politely inquired before pushing past Gabriella and entering the room while the other girl stared blankly at her.

_Oh, yeah_, Gabriella thought sarcastically before seeing Troy's curious gaze, _I'll get right on that_.

* * *

Troy was beginning to dislike the locker room atmosphere that every male regarded as essential to their manhood. Indeed, the more time he spent slipping into his practice jersey and tying his sneakers as the soccer team readied alongside the basketball team, he began to think that the guys were just as prone to gossip as the cheerleaders in the adjacent room. The loud conversations had stopped upon his arrival, and the not-so-sly looks followed him as he talked quietly with his team.

Grateful to leave the whispers behind, as he had been doing all day, he entered the gym and searched for the one person hating the school's rumour mill as much as him. He had heard every possible explanation for his and Gabriella's make-up since his arrival. Some thought they had faked the whole fight for the sake of excitement and the heavy makeup sex. Someone else had loudly wondered if Gabriella was pregnant. Numerous others blamed Eric Masters' pursuit of the brunette and Troy's known jealousy. He neglected to point out that he had been too drunk to know that Eric was flirting to the max while Gabriella blatantly ignored him. The makeup sex had been the most amusing and Troy had caught himself from letting his secret thoughts on the matter slip from his tongue.

Locating her slender back, loosely outlined by the white practice jersey with number twenty-six on the back, Troy kept his steps steady as he approached her. Her feet left the polished floor as her arm arched perfectly to follow the shot sailing through the net. She chased after the ball, turning to see him watching and sending him a cocky smirk before taking three steps and performing a perfect layup. Catching the ball, she bounced it twice and brought it to her chest, arms bent to launch it in his direction.

"Game on," she told him in a haughty voice. He caught the ball easily and raised an eyebrow.

"Really now?" he asked, "You're going down, Montez. I'm not the one who just spent an hour racing on a track. I am fresh and ready to beat you into the ground. You will fold under my awesomeness."

"You're right," she said, giving an exaggerated sigh as her shoulders slumped before quickly perking up again, "So I get Chad to compensate."

"What? No, that's not fair," Troy protested, mouth dropping at how easily she had caught him.

"What's not fair?" Zeke asked, approaching the couple and scanning the gym for the players trickling in from the locker room.

"Brie, here, is misunderstanding the idea of one-on-one," Troy explained in an overly patient voice while sending her a wink while she pouted.

"Who said it was one-on-one?" she asked cheekily. "I merely implied that since you think I need help to win, it would only be fair to give me another person."

"Do you really think that pout will work?" he asked incredulously, convincing himself the liquid feeling of his conviction melting had nothing to do with the look she was sending him.

"It worked yesterday," she reminded him, "and this morning. And we all know it's working right now."

"She's got you there, Man," Zeke replied, smirking at his friend who glared. "You're turning into a puddle of goo and don't deny it."

"I am not goo," Troy said crankily, trying to avert his eyes from the puffy lower lip that shimmered with lipgloss he knew would taste like cherries if he- Groaning to himself, he eyed her warily. "If you keep doing that, one of these days it won't work," he told her and she grinned.

"I'm sure if it happens, I'll be able to discover something else to use." Her eyes skimmed over his face and trailed down his chest to linger slightly lower than his belly button and then returned to his eyes and offered him a smirk.

"Did she just-" Zeke stopped when Troy brought his hand up with a pink tinge in his cheeks.

"Don't even finish that sentence if you want to walk tomorrow," he growled as Gabriella spun and walked towards the girls who were doing warm-up.

Troy watched the distinct sway in her hips and remembered how much he had missed it. Grinning recklessly, he flung the ball at Zeke and motioned for him to scrimmage with him while they waited for his father's instructions. Once in awhile, his eyes would wander to the other half of court where the girls were doing chest-to-chest passes, Gabriella looking beyond her partner to meet his eyes. For the rest of practice, he made every basket. Every pass. Every drill. It was perfect. And on the other side of the court, the yin to his yang, Gabriella mirrored every moment with her own success. Their teammates shot each other knowing looks, acknowledging that order had been restored to the school and their team.

* * *

By Wednesday, the gossip had lessened and Troy and Gabriella's miracle makeup and peace declaration had to fight for attention among the new poster stapled to the charity bulletin board and the argument taking place between the football coaches and the track coaches over who deserved the most time on the field. Troy was perfectly happy to bury himself in basketball practices, runs with Gabriella and homework. Anything to keep his relationship out of the spotlight as if his classmates were the paparazzi.

Spinning his pen between his fingers, he glanced towards the front of the classroom before pushing his paper to the right, catching his desk partner's attention. Gabriella lifted her head from her set of physics problems to be solved in correlation with the most recent lab assignment and looked at him questioningly before skimming his equation and tapping an error with her pencil.

"You're mixing up the variables," she told him, turning her paper so she could show him the formulas she had sketched out. "Try switching them and see if you get the right answer."

"I hate this class," he muttered, scraping the eraser over the incorrect equation and brushing it away with a swipe of his hand. "It is kicking my ass and it's only October."

"What number are you on?" she asked, trying to match his problem with the ones in her text book. Guiltily, he flipped the page backwards a few until he tapped a set of problems with his pencil. "You're on last week's practice problems?" she asked, trying not to draw attention but still surprised.

"Yeah," he murmured, feeling his cheeks warm but being glad he rarely blushed. "I was distracted and couldn't concentrate and it's not like it's easy on a good day." Sighing, she pulled out her practice sheet from the week before.

"Use this as a guideline," she told him, "And as soon as I finish with state this weekend, we'll take a day and I'll explain it. You shouldn't let yourself get behind. It's math you've done, it's just new."

"Don't worry about me," he told her quietly, scanning the page and seeing if he could find any mistakes in his own work. He couldn't and he grinned, something she caught, and continued to work through the one she had shown him to be wrong. Troy wasn't stupid or slow with mathematics, but he had been distracted and that never boded well for remaining caught up. "Just focus on this weekend."

Nodding, she returned to her work as the teacher began circling the classroom to answer any questions. Checking his answers against the ones that Gabriella had provided him, Troy moved onto the next one. Pencil between his index and middle finger as he tapped out a problem into his calculator, he scribbled the answer as his other hand drifted towards Gabriella's thigh. She didn't even flinch when it settled on her denim clad leg and his thumb began to trace circles as he bit the inside of his cheek and tried to solve the next set of formulas.

* * *

Gabriella nibbled her bottom lip as she watched Taylor scan the letter from Principal Matsui that gave the official go-ahead for the final plans of the charity ball auction. The ball itself was to be held at Lava Springs, having been donated to the cause by Sharpay and Ryan's parents, and the auction had been scheduled to take place in the auditorium two weeks before that. Gabriella had purposely slotted it in on the night following the opening game for the boys' basketball team. Taylor's quiet behaviour was beginning to unnerve her as the fingers of her left hand drummed out a beat on the cafeteria table.

"Chill, Gabs, I'm almost finished," Taylor said softly, still reading the final details.

Gabriella nodded, searching the room for anyone else but it seemed that in the final moments of the Thursday lunch period, most people had fled to their lockers for final classes. Glancing at her cell phone, she saw there was ten minutes left. Nervously, she watched Taylor's eyes jump to a different spot before finally setting the letter on top of the charity folder and giving Gabriella a smile that untied the first of many knots in her stomach.

"He's totally behind us," she told her and Gabriella let out the breath she was holding.

"Really?" she asked, pulling the letter towards her and seeing the answer for herself, in black and white.

"Yeah, he says he has double checked with the school board and everything is good to go. You and Troy will MC, and the sign up list will be posted the week before. Anyone can withdraw at any point, and if anyone is 'sold' to someone they feel uncomfortable with then they sign a form and the donation is vetoed. Tickets to anyone participating in the auction will be free as long as they are 'bought' at a price higher than the actual ticket price." Taylor watched her friend relax and offered her a brief smile. "No one will argue with the MC change. If anything, it will be great because we're doing it after the basketball games and you are both captains for the moment. It will work. Everyone is excited and no expects to buy someone in a relationship. Except Kelsi and Ryan who have enough money at their disposal to not consider another option."

"I just don't want to look like a hypocrite," Gabriella said, relief in her voice as she helped gather the things covering the table. "Not just because I convinced people to do it with me, but because I called out Troy in the cafeteria and am now doing what he wanted. I mean, it's what I wanted, but people won't see it that way."

"They don't matter, Gabs," Taylor said, not seeing the look of shock in Gabriella's eyes and not knowing the secrets behind her words. "Like you said, it's what you want. You wanted it all along; you were just upset that he did it behind your back. No one expects you to go up there just to stick it to him."

"You're right, thanks," Gabriella replied, throwing her satchel over her shoulder and leading the way out the door. They paused at the staircase outside, both headed in different directions. "I'll have all the posters and everything done for Friday. That will give us two weeks exactly until the auction."

"Sounds good," Taylor told her, heading up the steps to the student council office as Gabriella headed to the gym.

After changing into her track gear for the scheduled extra practice that Jack was letting her run during the PE period, she grabbed her water bottle and jogged out of the empty gym to the track that was accumulating members from her class as the warning bell sounded inside. Squeezing between people as she sought to reach the front of the pack where the track members were stretching, she stooped under Troy's arm and leaned in to him as his arm wrapped around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple before following her to where Chad was calling their names.

"How did it go?" he asked quietly, knowing where she had been.

"We're all good to go," she told him with a grin, turning to see his entire demeanour relax with her words.

"So you're off the list?" he asked, inwardly sighing at her nod.

"Yup, which means you will have to come up with lots of banter for the stage," she told him slyly, hands sliding to the waistband of his shorts.

"Since when do we need to come prepared for banter?" he asked good naturedly with a crooked smile as a not-so-subtle cough came behind them and they turned to see Jack eyeing them with a very specific look.

Sighing, Troy unwound his arms from her hips as she stepped back, rolling her eyes. Jack waited to make sure they wouldn't have a repeat moment as soon as he turned his back, before calling out instructions. Gabriella almost laughed at the hesitation in the coach's voice before informing her and Troy that they could work together on her timing. Adding Chad to their group as an afterthought, Gabriella wondered when their behaviour had begun to warrant babysitters while in public.

* * *

The track was empty on Friday afternoon except for the lone figure that Troy had been searching the school for. Classes had ended an hour ago and the parking lot had been empty except for a few extra cars scattered between all three divided parking lots, but he had quickly spotted the black convertible as he left his dad's office behind and had quickly turned to find out what had kept her. The auditorium and the library had been empty and after poking his head inside the student government office, Taylor had suggested the gym. That too had been empty but the back door had been propped open and he went on instinct to search the field and track.

She wasn't actually on the track, he saw, as he crossed the field to the gate that separated the bleachers from the turf and where she had perched herself. Her bag was on the ground and her sweater was wrapped around her as she gazed absently into the air, her eyes casually drifting to the giant scoreboard that seemed to count down the hours until her race the next day. She looked up and offered him a quiet smile as he hauled himself up beside her.

"You're freaking out," he said, the same line he had said before the last meet.

"Actually, I'm not. I'm oddly calm," she responded, sounding surprised at herself.

"And why do you think that is," he asked, watching her eyebrows merge in thought.

"Because I don't need to win tomorrow." It seemed to simple and easy for her that he was astounded.

"What?"

"I care, don't get me wrong, and I will run my ass off or collapse doing it, but I don't _need_ to win. This time around, I've already proved it to myself. Tomorrow is the next step but if I don't win, it won't be because I slacked off or put something else first. It will be because someone is better than me." She turned to him, slightly unsteady as her position changed. "Right now, it feels like everything fits. School, basketball, track, you. It's all there and I'm not fighting to figure out what it means."

"Tomorrow is just another race," he told her with a grin, feeling his heart swell at how peaceful she seemed. He had been worried there would be another meltdown or everything would shatter if she lost. "Another timing exercise. Just you on the track."

"And just you in the stands," she returned, smiling as he pulled her off the railing to join him on the ground again. "That's all I need."

"And that's the only place I'll want to be." He paused for a moment, using his arms to fit her to his chest. "For the record we always seem to keep, I would have been there even if we were still fighting," he admitted.

"I know, but I doubt it would have been the same."

Grabbing her bag, he linked her fingers with his and led her across the field to the parking lot on the other side, pushing her against the side of her car as he leaned down to fuse his lips to hers. Her hands found the back pockets of his pants and dragged him closer as his hands found the scorching skin along her hips where her tank top had ridden up. Sparks danced along his tongue as hers fought and gained entrance, fingers digging into his flesh despite the denim and his hands trailed up her ribs before his grip had her sitting on the hood of her car.

Seconds stretched to minutes and neither noticed as the handful of cars around them disappeared, leaving only a shiny black convertible with the top down and a beat-up white pick-up truck.

* * *

_AN: Review!...and the race is on for the finish.....okay, bad pun considering how badly you all wanted this....._

_~van_


	27. Define Ally

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty Seven- Define Ally**

_ally (noun): a person or place supporting another._

* * *

Gabriella eyed the bagel on the plate that had been pushed under her nose, letting her gaze float across the table to see multiple sets of eyes staring back at her. They were daring her to push it away. They were daring her to make them force feed her. Her mother's look was even, almost nonchalant, while Troy looked stubborn and Chad looked ready to eat it himself despite the pile of toast on his plate and the banana in his hand.

Sighing, she reached forward and ran a finger over the excess jam dripping down the side and brought it to her mouth. She didn't want it. It wasn't nerves, like Troy kept suggesting, and it wasn't her being moody that her mother would be at the airport while she ran her final race of her high school career. It definitely wasn't because she thought Chad would enjoy it more than her, although the probability of that happening was high. It was because she had asked Troy, who had arrived without notice on her doorstep four hours before the meet was to start, to toss some cereal in a bowl with skim milk and he had decided to become a chef in her kitchen.

"Troy, I'm buying you a dictionary," she said flatly, still staring at the object that she willed to disappear.

"Babe, eat the bagel. It's better than cereal. Cereal won't stay with you until lunch," he replied, not patronizing but something on the same level.

"Neither will this when I throw it up on the track in two hours," she snapped, her patience cut short by the cluster of people and the doorbell that signalled more. "I just want cereal. It's tradition. Cereal for breakfast and veggies for lunch and fall asleep before supper."

"Brie, that is a horrible tradition. If you eat like that for a basketball game, I will be scrapping you off the court before halftime," he told her, slipping his arms around her shoulders while Mrs. Montez went to answer the door. "Don't you want the yummy goodness of a sesame seed bagel?"

"Not particularly," she admitted, stating the obvious while Chad smiled around a mouthful of mushed bananas. If Troy couldn't understand her lack of appetite before, surely he should understand that no one could eat after seeing that sight.

"But I made it with love," he said, pouting as he dangled a wedge in front of her.

"I'm sure you and the toaster did, but that doesn't mean I like it," she said, drawing out the words through gritted teeth. "If I eat it, will you stop hovering? If I throw up, you are on vomit duty," she added when he nodded with a smile.

"Deal," he readily agreed, sitting beside her and grabbing a handful of grapes from the center of the table as she took a reluctant bite.

"What's a deal?" Jack Bolton asked as he entered the kitchen, followed by the Danforth's and Gabriella's mother.

"Troy and Gabriella agree to take turns cleaning up each other's puke," Chad informed the room, not seeing the glances that the adults shot the two teens who were glaring at their friend.

"And that's the end of eating the bagel," Gabriella declared, pushing it away.

"Yeah, I don't blame you there," Troy admitted, getting up to make cereal.

Gabriella felt the butterflies resume in her stomach as she watched him reach for a bowl, his t-shirt revealing an inch of golden, toned abs that disappeared as he bent inside the fridge for the milk. Still watching , she didn't notice how one hand absently drifted to her cheek to support her head as she angled her gaze to follow his every move. The butterflies intensified and they had nothing to do with her race or winning or eating. They had everything to do with the way his hair fell in his face and the way his forearm muscles flexed as he slid the cereal in front of her. Shakily picking up the spoon, she tried to focus on anything else until she could finish breakfast, but his arm along the back of her chair and the close proximity to his heated skin ruined the chance of that so she let the shivers crawl up her back and choked down her cereal.

* * *

There was something completely....._enthralling._....about watching her from the stands, Troy realized as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. His eyes saw only her, as if she was the sole person on the turf, although once in awhile they would include Chad. Her hair hung in its thick braid down her back, the ends tickling the number taped on her back. It wasn't his this time, but it didn't matter to either one of them. She knew where he was.

Beside him, Jason shot a suspicious look around Troy's hunched back to the person on the opposite side of the basketball captain, clearly unamused by the company Troy chose to keep in Colorado. Caleb, for the most part, was ignoring the whispers and looks that the majority of East High was shooting him and his blue and yellow emblazoned West jacket. Behind them, Sharpay and Taylor chatted away over a prom venue that needed to be booked while Kelsi argued with Ryan over costume changes for the upcoming musical. Troy's attention was ripped from Gabriella by a sharp jab to his ribs.

"Cross, dude, what the hell?" he cried, massaging his bruises with one hand.

"Your friend is drawing attention," Jason spit, his gaze darting from Caleb to the surrounding fans.

"Seriously? Jason, get over it. Caleb is a friend and he is here to cheer on Brie. Just smile and play nice," Troy insisted, shooting an apologetic look to the West player who shrugged off Jason's glares.

"Why doesn't he cheer on his own school?" Jason sneered and jumped when Sharpay's hand smacked the back of his head and he was rewarded with an icy glare from her direction. "I'm just saying."

"The only West student to make it this far is my ex-girlfriend," Caleb replied coldly, "Needless to say, Ella seems like the more inviting choice. Most of West would agree."

"See, he's on our side," Troy assured his ruffled friend before rolling his eyes and looking back to the field.

"So we all agree to pray that she falls on her face and gives Gabs the win?" Zeke intoned, playing the peacemaker that Troy was often grateful for.

"Yup."

"Good. Since Chad's not here, who's taking the lead?" he asked, eyeing Troy who grinned and stood, pulling Caleb with him.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked, instantly seeing the answer as every person in red stood to look at Troy who had jumped to the railing and was facing them in return. Groaning, he caught Troy's wink and Jason's smirk.

"You're with the enemy now," Zeke reminded him as Troy held up a hand for silence.

"WHAT TEAM?!" he shouted, feeling Gabriella's eyes burn into his back as Chad's head whipped around.

"WILDCATS!" came the chorused reply before a whistle blew and Troy turned to see Gabriella being dragged towards the start line by Chad.

Seeing her shake her head to clear her thoughts, Troy gave her a thumbs up as she stumbled to the blocks, straightening her back as she focused. There was a shot and she left the starting point behind and raced for the finish. Troy's eyes couldn't blink as she passed the first three girls and settled into stride with the other four. His brain counted the marked lines for the distance, while his eyes remained locked on her.

* * *

She could feel him as the wind rushed past. He was there in every step of her feet and every pump of her arms. In every breath she took, Troy was there, waiting for her no matter the outcome. It was that that kept the determined look on her face as the girl beside her pulled ahead. In front of them, appearing much bigger and brighter than it really was, the finish mark taunted Gabriella's stamina. The past months had little to do with finding her perfect someone who knew her when no one else did. It had to do with realizing that he had been there all along. It had to do with finding her stride and making it work for her. It had to do with knowing that despite her strength, there was someone willing to catch her if the need arose. It was knowing that even if he broke the heel off every shoe she owned, it would be impossible to lose Troy completely ever again.

The pounding of the other girls' steps became audible as her thoughts were pushed away and she tried to narrow the gap between her and the runner before her. Whether the runners behind her were speeding up or she was unknowingly slowing down, Gabriella couldn't tell, but she did know that between her and the finish line, was one other person and she was bound and determined to prove that she had given it her all. Focusing on the looming goal ahead, she poured every remaining fibre of herself into the final meters of the race.

"Come on, Baby, show them how it's done."

Troy's voice broke through the melee of every other spectator. Air burned in her lungs as she inhaled, and her vision blurred to focus on the only important point. All she needed was to finish. Reach the end. Those gaining from behind and the one runner a step ahead, had no bearing on how she ended this. It was all on her.

* * *

Troy wasn't familiar with all the school colors present on the track, but he could easily pick out the West High runner trailing several feet behind Gabriella and the runner who had come in second to Gabriella during the earlier qualifying meet. Gabriella herself was falling behind a runner clad in white and black from somewhere near the Eastern New Mexico border. He felt his stomach tie itself in knots and his chest constricted as he watched her lose ground steadily to the other girl. As they passed in front of the stands, he called out his encouragement along with the supporting fans for East, but the extra spur of energy he noted in her stride was far from enough to put her back on even ground.

"Oh, fuck," Zeke whispered, hardly daring to voice the inevitable as they watched.

"She's still in second place," Taylor reminded them, having researched everything on high school track and field meets in typical Taylor McKessie fashion. "She still has a chance."

"Not with that blonde chick on her ass," Caleb muttered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to decide which school the third place runner represented. "Come on, Ella, what are you doing?"

"She's fine. She can do this." Everyone knew Troy was saying it to himself more than actually trying to convince them of anything different.

The seconds ticked by, mirrored by the orange letters of the clock at the far end of the West field, and Troy could nothing but stand by and watch as she managed to close the widening gap between her and first place. She wasn't going to get it, Troy realized. She didn't have any energy or extra speed hidden away like last time. She would have used it to keep the race close to begin with. She had a strong chance of second place, but it wouldn't be first this time.

"Oh, Brie," he said quietly, resigned as he watched the girl in front easily cross the threshold of the finish mark.

There was a stuttered heartbeat in his chest before Gabriella followed her, exhausted muscles giving away and falling directly into Chad's waiting arms as her teammates and coach offered her claps on the back as her only consolation prize. He felt his heart break for her, knowing that despite her words the day before, it would be disappointing to be within four steps of winning and be pulled back by your own body's limitations.

He heard Sharpay's sharp intake of breath from behind him, and Caleb let out a sigh as Troy leaned forward with his head in his hands. People around him were yelling and calling out to runners lining up for the next race, no one from East among them, but he drowned them out with his own thoughts while staring at his shoes. Someone placed a small hand on his shoulder and he turned to see a weak smile from Kelsi.

"She's watching you," she said quietly, nodding her head towards the tiny person seated in the grass on the far side, her knees drawn to her chest as one hand picked at the plastic replicated grass.

Her dark eyes bore into Troy's deep blue ones as her motions halted when he lifted his head. There was so much that passed between them in that moment; silent communication that told him she was fine and not falling to pieces. She stood then and walked towards her coach, who nodded and made a gesture with his hand towards the locker rooms, before leaving the field behind.

"I'll be back," Troy announced to the group of friends who nodded and stayed seated.

"Just remember to let her cry or yell before shoving your tongue down her throat," Sharpay suggested offhandedly, taking his vacated spot between Jason and Caleb. Turning to the stranger, she looked him up and down with a deep, penetrating look, before meeting his wary gaze. "So, tell me West Boy, what the fuck were they like in the hills?"

"Troy and Ella?" Caleb wondered, confused by her sudden interest. She fixed him with another look that dared him to make her repeat the request, and he swallowed. "They were....uh...cagey.....I guess."

"Well, that's nothing new," she snorted, turning away to talk to Jason, disappointed that no new information had been given.

* * *

Gabriella took her time unlacing her shoes and peeling off her socks. Tossing them into her bag, she reached a hand up to pull the elastic from her hair. She stared at her reflection in the full length, cheap mirror set on the wall in the room, gently teasing her hair from its braid and letting the waves spill over her shoulders. Heaving her stiff body to her feet, she slowly and painfully reached down to grip the hem of her racing singlet and bring it over her head. Her shorts followed as both were dropped into the bag on the bench. The shower felt heavenly as the water beat into her skin, rinsing off the sweat. Bending her head, the water flowed in rivers down her face and hair.

She had lost. Second wasn't first. It wasn't even a close second, but two full seconds behind the winner. She sighed, breathing in a heavy cloud of mist and dampness, and refused to cry. Crying would mean she was disappointed in herself and she wasn't. Crying would mean resenting that the other girl was better and she was, so how could she resent the truth. Crying would mean that something could have been changed or altered and Gabriella could find nothing that needed to be. She had trained her hardest and improved further than she had expected of herself. She had run the race with every cell of her being and someone else had beaten her. So be it. It didn't make the disappointment any easier to bear but it was far from the overwhelming sensation of shattering into fragments that she had felt before.

Stepping from the shower, she brought the towel around her and ran it quickly over her curves, letting the rest pool around her feet on the tiles. She slid on her jeans and a tank top, bare feet slapping the floor as she padded back to her gear in the quiet room. Running fingers through her soaking hair, she finger combed the strands up into a messy bun that kept it from soaking her back.

He appeared in the mirror, a reflection of him leaning against the far wall where the door to the school hallway was hidden by painted cinder blocks and rows of caged lockers. His hands were casually in his pockets but there was nothing casual about the look on his face that searched hers for cracks or faults. She tossed the towel aside and carefully placed her shoes into the bag, feeling his gaze sweep every inch of her.

"You did well," he told her, not moving from his spot.

"Not well enough," she began but continued before he could protest, "But good enough for me. I can live with it."

"Can you?" he asked, shoving the wall away and moving to sit on the bench as she pulled on her East High jacket and searched the pockets for lip gloss.

"I can," she assured him with a smile. "I did my best out there. I pushed further than I thought I ever could, I ran faster than I had thought possible, and maybe I didn't win but I finished. I gave it my best and sometimes things don't just happen because you try. Sometimes it's more than trying."

"You're not talking about track anymore," he countered, reaching out to grasp her hand.

"I think it applies to lots of things," she agreed, "Like us, like any relationship. Like school or basketball."

"What do you mean 'like us'?" he asked, tempered panic in his voice.

"Troy, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that there were lots of times when we thought we were trying to be friends or trying to play nice and the opposite occurred. Throw anyone in our place into Colorado and maybe the effects would have been the same or maybe they would be different; who knows? The point is that us trying wasn't the only thing that got us here. It was luck and timing and chemistry. As far as track goes, it just wasn't my time and I'm okay with that."

"We're going to be okay, Brie," he told her. "We are not like track. I agree that us trying had very little to do with how we got here, but I think the trying is important. I think the effort is important. I think the trust and understanding and communication is all important. We will work because we want it to work. And if down the road, something crazy happens and we find ourselves going in different directions, we will still work. It may not be the same way, but there will be an _us_ in some form."

"I love you," she suddenly told him. It wasn't a loud proclamation or grand gesture. It wasn't a fairytale ending or a romantically planned event. It was just a realization that she needed to share. Just words that she had been waiting to say when he could fully comprehend and understand the weight and strength behind them. She watched him for a moment as they sunk into the furthest recesses of his body and mind, her gaze steady and assured.

"I know," he told her, bolting forward to grip her arms and pulling her closer. "God, I know and I love you too. In so many ways and for so many reasons."

Then he ignored Sharpay's directions and without her crying and without her yelling, Troy did the inevitable and kissed her roughly. She wasn't protesting against it.

* * *

Caleb Brenner had witnessed a lot of things during his eight weeks in Maplevine Ridge. He had seen thunderstorms that created rivers where paths had been as the water rushed down the mountainside. He had seen deer and a bear. He had seen Gabriella hit a grand-slam with a kids sized bat and a baseball no one managed to find. He saw Brett teach the most uncoordinated children how to paddle evenly and had seen Ben cook his own food without burning it. He watched Troy yelp like a little girl when a squirrel hissed at him and wished he had a video camera for the day that Pete had fallen in the pool while lecturing him and Jayme on proper and appropriate conduct.

More amazingly, he had seen two people tear down the walls between them and find a friend in the other. He had witnessed Troy Bolton, cocky arrogant captain of the city championship game, show a side that was comical and affectionate and protective to the one girl he continuously threatened to push off a cliff. He had seen rangers carry an unconscious Gabriella from the woods after missing for twelve hours and knew what that time alone had done to both of them. He had witnessed the most unlikely connection of passion and hormones he had thought possible outside the movies.

Watching as Troy dragged Gabriella along the path that led from the track to the bleachers, Caleb had to grin at the outcome of what he had expected to be a summer of constant upset. Their smiles were easy and their laughs frequent. The uncanny ability to read the other's actions and intentions was still there and Caleb recalled the first time the two had returned from town all glowy and sunny while the female counsellors whispered and guessed at what had taken place. He heard Gabriella call his name before breaking away from Troy and running the rest of the way to throw her arms around his neck.

"You did great," he told her, feeling her friends' gazes burn holes through the school crest on his back.

"Thanks," she told him honestly, stepping back into Troy's hold as the three friends caught up and discussed the others from camp who had emailed or called.

"You coming to the party at Chad's?" Troy asked, nodding towards the tall, afroed boy on the other side of the field who had yet to compete.

"I doubt Danforth wishes to extend the invitation to me," Caleb told them, seeing the familiar set of Gabriella's jaw. "But thanks for the offer."

"Are you sure? I'm inviting you and Brie can get him to agree to anything," Troy insisted, noting how uncomfortable Caleb seemed.

"No, I'm good. You guys go and celebrate with East." He grinned as he caught how natural all their actions and positions seemed. "You guys are incredible. Who would have expected the two of you to be standing here like this now, after the first weeks of camp?"

"We're a walking miracle," Troy responded, deadpan and the other boy laughed.

"I'm not sure I would use that word, but surprising would work." He looked to Gabriella, hearing someone call her name and knowing it was time to head home. "Your friend, the blonde one? She seems to be quite determined to learn about your time in Colorado."

"You didn't tell her about-" Gabriella's eyes widened at the thought. Colorado and Albuquerque were separate in her mind. Just like the counsellors in Colorado didn't know about their past back home, their friends at East were not part of Colorado. That was just for her and Troy.

"I didn't say anything," he assured her, "I'm just giving you a heads up."

"Thanks," she told with a shaky breath. "For everything."

"No problem." He stepped forward to clasp Troy's hand and gave Gabriella another hug. "Good luck, guys.

Walking away, Caleb realized that he was probably one of the few people walking the earth that could fully understand where Troy and Gabriella had grown from. Their past and childhoods were a mystery, something every person at Maplevine had come to accept, but the rest, Caleb could follow. Seeing them at camp and then again at home, he knew that there was something permanent between them.

* * *

The Danforths' had left the house to their son's and Gabriella's competent hands. Having accepted the invitation to have dinner and drinks at the Bolton house, they had lectured and threatened that coming back to anything less than perfect would result in the step before death. Gabriella had assured them that it would be only a small affair and they would try to keep most of the guests outside in the two backyards. Her house, since her mother was once again in another state, was completely off limits to anyone but Taylor and Sharpay who were spending the night. Even Troy, at the discretion of his parents, had been banned from stepping inside.

"Alright, the food is on the grill under Zeke's watchful eye and Sharpay's constant questioning and nattering," Troy informed Gabriella as he swooped into the kitchen. "Ryan and Kelsi have locked up the booze and set up the drinks outside where nothing can get spilled on expensive rugs, and Chad and Taylor are arguing over twinkly lights. Why? I have no idea."

"And you are doing what exactly?" Gabriella asked as she pulled lids off several batches of cookies from both her kitchen and Troy's. "Besides eating the snacks?"

"I am enjoying a moment of privacy with my gorgeous girlfriend who decided to torture me with that skirt for the night," he whispered huskily in her ear, revelling in the shiver that escaped down her back. "Care to join me?"

"Maybe," she teased, turning and dancing her fingers along the waistband of his jeans. His hands came around her waist and lifted her onto the counter so they were at eye level with one another. "Where is Jason?"

"What?" he lifted his head from her stomach where he had pressed his face.

"Jason," she repeated, "Everyone is occupied but Jason."

"He fell in the pool so he went home to change," Troy replied, kissing the inside of her arm from wrist to elbow and back down, grinning as she giggled.

"I see, and there is no chance of someone walking in on us?" she insisted, raising an eyebrow as he looked up again.

"Why? Do you plan for us to get naked in Mary's kitchen? Next to the cookies you plan to feed our friends?" He gave her a mischievous smile and attacked the exposed skin along the neckline of her top. "I'm not prepared for nakedness."

"Hmm, this is better," she murmured, setting feather-light kisses along his hairline where she had pushed his hair back.

Following her path down to his ear and then his jaw and then transferring to the other side, she curled her toes as he placed both firehot hands on either side of her face and tipped it up to gain access to the sensitive area between her jaw and her ear. Her feet were yanked around his waist by his hurried hands and his rock hard stomach pressed against her pelvis that rested on the edge of the counter top. The minutes disappeared as their hands explored and retracted, grasped and released, probed and yanked as hair was pushed out of the way and clothes got in the way and lips were forced to find a way around them.

"Oh, God, my eyes!" Sharpay hollered, stumbling back from the kitchen entrance and clapping her hands over her eyes. She spun to escape only to bang into the wall and curse. "Freaking bunnies in the kitchen," she complained, when someone called from the patio to inquire to her outburst.

Gabriella hid flaming cheeks in Troy's arms that had wrapped protectively around her as she made sure the lacy edge of her bra was once again under her tank top. Whistles and cat calls sounded from the patio and hallway as their friends absorbed Sharpay's comment. Knowing it wouldn't help further but enjoying the writhing torture Troy's body would endure, she huddled deeper into his chest and continued to kiss the exposed v of his shirt.

"Brie, we have an audience," he murmured, trying not laugh at a flustered Sharpay.

"Hmmm," she replied, her lips drifting up to his neck and he tried not to arch his back as it would drag her from the counter.

"We shouldn't do this here," he tried again, his eyes almost fluttering shut on their own.

"You said everything is being taken care of," she answered, delicate kisses tickling his collarbone. "No fires or disasters."

"Everything is good," he assured her, his hands cupping her knees and his hands lifting her under her armpits.

"Then we don't need to be here; watching and waiting," Her suggestion was drawn out to make sure he knew she was serious.

"We can't go to your house," he reminded her, feeling her arms tighten as they stood in the middle of the kitchen.

"Don't need to," she replied, fingers trailing along his biceps before she met his eyes and understanding passed between them.

"Guest room?" he asked, walking to the basement door.

"Guest room."

* * *

_AN: So one more closer to the end. People keep asking for specifics and I'll give you a puzzle....I like things to be divisible by 10 or 5 and this is 27.....My promise to Kelly and what she is able to hold over my head got me to put this up now. The next one won't be up for a couple of days....So review and enjoy. And yes, Kari, it's slowing down..._

_~van_


	28. Define Perfection

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty Eight- Define Perfection**

_perfection (noun):an instance of excellence._

* * *

Silence looped and surrounded the threesome on the floor in Sharpay's oversized bedroom. The owner lay sprawled across her surprisingly green duvet cover, a book held open in one hand while the other lifted an apple to her mouth for a bite. Raising her eyes from the text on the page, she looked down to get a clear view of Taylor's perfectly even block-lettered script as she condensed the collected notes into an outline. Across the room, delicate fingers freshly painted, Gabriella clicked the mouse to create a fresh presentation slide each time Taylor called out a new section. Feeling someone watching her, Gabriella turned to meet Sharpay's steady gaze.

The blonde stared for a moment, before returning her glance to the page in front of her and taking another bite of the snack. Rolling her eyes at her friend's antics, which had been repeated every five minutes since leaving Chad's house in her pink convertible, Gabriella returned to the screen to complete and save the current slide. Looking behind her to see that Taylor was still working on the next outline for the presentation, she pushed the seat back and stretched her arms over her head. A yawn escaped as her back arched at the pleasurable sensation, t-shirt riding up to reveal her stomach before looking at her study buddies.

"I'm going to get a drink," she announced, carefully stepping around Taylor's notes that were spaced out across the floor, "Anyone want something?"

"I'm good," Taylor told her, eyes never leaving the page as Sharpay concurred.

Leaving the room, Gabriella descended the stairs to the kitchen below, passing Ryan's room on the way where he and Kelsi were watching a movie with the door open. They gave her a quick wave as she went by. Retrieving a glass of water and a bowl of cherries that the kitchen staff had left for them on the table with a note, Gabriella headed back upstairs. Voices were escaping through the small crack in Sharpay's door and she paused outside when she heard Troy's name. Pressing her ear closer, only taking a moment to consider that it was Sharpay's fault she was an expert, Gabriella tried to filter through the muffled voices to hear what they were talking about. When she could only make out every fifth word, she sighed to herself and pushed the door open with her hand.

The silence and the searching looks returned instantly as she crossed to the desk and set the bowl and glass on the wooden surface. Spinning the chair to face the girls, she pulled the bowl into her lap and fished out a cherry, absorbing the heaviness in the air as she tried to find a perfectly round, reddened fruit without any brown or mushy spots. She could feel Sharpay's eyes burning into her face while Taylor tried not to look frozen, although the pen had stopped moving. Lifting her eyes, she stared back at Sharpay who was looking from the fruit to Gabriella.

"You want one? Clara left them on the counter with a note for us to eat them," Gabriella offered, making to pass the bowl across the space, but Sharpay merely flicked her gaze at it before returning to Gabriella. Sighing, Gabriella tucked the bowl into her lap and picked out another one. "Just ask, Sharpay."

The other girl opened her mouth to speak, but closed it just as fast when Taylor turned to glare at her. Gabriella gave both of them a pointed look as she popped another cherry in her mouth, pulling on the stem as she let the juice drip down her throat. The others shared looks that shifted from curious and pleading to defiant and annoyed before they turned their attention back to Gabriella who was patiently waiting for the silent agreement.

"Ask what?" Sharpay asked, voice slightly too high to be innocent.

"Ask if me and Troy copulated in the guest room last night," Gabriella drawled, fingers delicately poking at a few cherries that look overly ripe before finding another perfect one. "That's what you want to know, right? Why you keep waiting for me to spill my guts and rush forward? Why you insisted on driving me from Chad's even though it means driving me back later? Why you were whispering when I left for the kitchen? So, ask."

The two shared another look, this one surprised and unsure. Gabriella inspected the cherry in her hand, one finger sliding along the shiny skin to grip the stem. They had been waiting for her to crack since whisking her away from the house and Troy after the two emerged from the bedroom just after ten that morning. After Sharpay's discovery, those on the patio had waited for them to appear blushing, but instead, they disappeared. Curiosity finally won out over Sharpay's insistence that no one would want to witness what she had, and the group had begun to search for the missing pair. Conveniently, it had been Zeke to find the closed door at the bottom of the basement steps that refused to open when he turned the knob. He had kept the others out when his position was discovered and they had grudgingly returned to the deck and the backyard, pondering the not-so-subtle possibilities that could be going on. Gabriella, seated now so calmly in the pastel room with the bright Broadway posters, simply waited for the dam to break and the begging for details to begin.

"That's not why-," Taylor tried to deny but Sharpay let out an exasperated groan.

"Oh, give it up, she's knows what we want to know and she knows the answers."

"I would hope she knows the answer," Taylor grumbled, head ducked so that no one could see her heated cheeks at being dismissed by Sharpay.

"So, spill," Sharpay demanded.

"Nope," Gabriella grinned cheekily, slipping another cherry onto her tongue.

"But, you-," Sharpay protested, eyes flashing.

"I just wanted you to ask. I have no intentions of telling you anything," Gabriella informed her, placing the bowl on the ground and spinning the chair to face the computer screen.

"But....You and him....why?" she stuttered, glaring at Taylor's smirk.

"Why him or why am I not telling you," Gabriella inquired, still facing the other way.

"Well, actually," Sharpay began, losing herself in thought for a moment, "both would be good."

"Him because I can't think of any reason for it not to be, and why I'm not telling you, because all that matters between us- is us. What happened last night, and that could be a number of things, is just between us." Gabriella turned to look into her friend's eyes and she caught the spark of realization as Sharpay realized that things ran deeper than most wanted to acknowledge.

"You're in love with him," she gasped, fumbling to sit upright on the bed, understanding dawning on her face as Taylor whipped her head up. "You're in so deep there's no way out. Oh, my freaking God."

"Shar, maybe you're over-," Taylor stopped when she saw the sly, secret smile curling across Gabriella's face and her eyes widened. "She's right. Since when?"

"I think I've loved him since he insisted I climb the mountain with him because he knew how much I would love the view. I think in that moment, standing in the clearing and having the valley spread out behind me and seeing him smile, I realized how much he knew me. How much he was willing to go out of his way to show me that view. I think I loved him then and didn't know," Gabriella quietly told them, rubbing her hands over the tops of her cold feet that were propped on the chair.

Sharpay and Taylor were stunned into silence, watching how her face changed when she recalled him in that context; how she dreamily closed her eyes to no doubt imagine the view that held so much weight within her.

"To be in love with him, that moment came later, but I realized them both at the same time." Gabriella met Sharpay's dramatic eyes that were soaking in all the details, while Taylor's gaze was steady, recalling the panic in Troy's voice the night he had called the club for his father. "I needed him that night when I waited with Alex. We don't talk about it, not even with our parents or Chad, but it won't ever leave our minds."

"The night you got lost," Taylor said, jerking Sharpay's attention to her as the blonde frowned. She hadn't been given many details, having found out that Gabriella had gone missing and was found at the same time by Zeke. Gabriella winced and nodded.

"It was a stupid moment, but its consequences went deeper. All I wanted was him. Nothing else mattered. When I woke up, and he was with me, all I needed was for him to know that," Gabriella took a breath. She was not willing to share all the details. "After that, it took awhile for me to realize what it meant, but the end is the same."

"You're in love with him," Sharpay repeated and Gabriella gave a raspy laugh.

"Yes, Shar, I love him."

"And he knows this?" she insisted, leaning forward in anticipation.

"He knows."

"And? God, girl, stop making us work for the answers," Taylor growled.

"And he has his own moments," Gabriella supplied with a smirk.

"He loves you." Sharpay never thought she'd see the day. She had thought that if the day had any hope in coming, everyone including her would be dead, leaving Troy and Gabriella to be the hope of the human race. Instead, here she was, very much alive.

"He loves me," Gabriella confirmed, turning her back on the ensuing giggles and letting the smile on her face remain plastered there.

* * *

Troy caught the ball without looking; one arm lazily lifting up to pluck it from the air with strong fingers. Pushing it down, he bounced it twice before catching it between both hands and turning to see Chad coming at him from across the lawn. Looking past him, Troy noted Zeke's silver Civic parked by the curb in front of the Bolton home. Launching the ball at the net, Troy grinned as Chad ducked to avoid being hit as it swished through.

"Guys," Troy said, acknowledging their presence with an absent nod, "To which do I owe the pleasure?"

"They want to interrogate you," Jason supplied, earning himself a sigh from Zeke and a swat from Chad.

"Subtlety, Jase, that's what we said," Chad reminded him, "Not blurt it out so he can run."

"By calling it an interrogation, do you save man points?" Troy asked sarcastically, taking another jump shot at the net and holding his position as the ball sailed through.

"Shut up. The girls have been all giggly and won't stop whispering or texting each other since yesterday. And by girls, I mean Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi. Gabriella seems sane," Chad informed Troy, stealing the ball to guarantee the captain's attention. "We want to know why."

"How am I supposed to know?" Troy inquired, quirking an eyebrow and not looking remotely interested in continuing the conversation.

"Gabs obviously told them something," Chad continued, "Something you and her already knew because otherwise she would be all jumpy and shit with them. Instead, every time they do it and she sees, she smirks or looks amused. She knows and so do you."

"We also want to know if you did it in Chad's guestroom but he insisted he doesn't want to know," Jason added, looking confused when Zeke threw his hands in the air and walked away.

Troy sighed and walked to where Zeke was seated in the grass, leaning back on his elbows. Flinging himself down, Troy rubbed both eyes with his hands. His friends were relentless. They refused to let his and Gabriella's 'untimely disappearance' go without a suggestion or a comment or an eyebrow wiggle. It had extended beyond annoying and irritating when Chad had mentioned it within hearing distance of his father, costing Troy two hours and fifty-six minutes of his life that he would never get back to a lecture on responsibility, propriety and safe sex. Gabriella had walked in on the last portion and Jack had decided to include her in the torture. Peeking between his fingers, Troy saw that Chad had not lost the look of determination.

"Can't you just let it go?" Troy insisted, pulling himself to a seated position and letting his hands dangle over his knees.

"You had sex in my guestroom. Sex that I hid from my parents by helping you crawl out the window and through mine so they wouldn't guess. You owe me an answer. Do I need to wash the sheets or is my Grandpa going to get a surprise when he comes for the game next week?" Chad growled, his eyes narrowing.

"Your mom already did them," Troy sighed, not giving in when he knew Gabriella hadn't, "Brie slept there for the weekend, remember?"

"Not the point," Chad snapped. "Damn it, Dude, we tell each other everything."

"Me and you," Troy said, his nerves grating, "You brought these guys into it."

"We can leave," Zeke offered. Sighing, Troy shook his head.

"Look, it's not what you think. But whatever happened, it's between us. Sharpay and Taylor don't know that. They're all giggly over something else," Troy admitted, seeing Chad relax slightly.

"Like what? They look like Prince Charming began handing out glass slippers," Chad grumbled, collapsing down beside Troy. "What? Did she confess her love to you or something?"

Silence. Troy saw Chad wait for an appropriate time that would precede an answer. When it passed and no words escaped Troy's mouth, all three heads turned to stare at him in bewilderment. Zeke looked surprised, but understanding. Chad looked excited, not shocking considering he probably knew how both of them felt before they told each other. Jason just looked stunned.

"She told you she loves you," Chad whispered.

"Yup, and this time I was sober," Troy confirmed.

"Wait, she said that in the-," Chad shook his head, "Never mind. She told you?"

"Yup." The stupid smile on his face was beginning to hurt but he couldn't get rid of it.

"Holy crap," Zeke whispered, "Shar was right." At Troy's look, he elaborated. "She told me that she would be alive to see....Don't ask, it's Sharpay."

"So what did you do?" Jason insisted, having never been in the position to come remotely close to considering a rational answer.

"I said it back."

"Let me guess," Chad quipped, "You were sober."

"Completely."

"But you weren't last time?"

"Nope."

"You too are completely dysfunctional," he sighed, laying back on the grass. "I hope you know that."

"We do."

Silence enveloped the group as they tried to process the drastic change in their group's dynamic, given the new information. It was like hearing that scientists had been wrong since the dawn of their creation and the North Pole was actually south and therefore, everything had been drawn upside down for centuries. They loved each other. Such a stretch from hoping school would start with them being friends. It changed everything. Yet, as Troy looked at Chad who was smiling to himself, maybe it didn't.

* * *

The sun warmed her skin as it washed over her bare arms and leaked through the mesh of her practice jersey. The bright number that marked her, along with her last name, blazed like a target to the boy climbing the stands to find her. She watched him, her fingers casually laced between her knees, her feet in their new court shoes resting on the seat in front of her. A stray curl that had escaped the hair elastic brushed against her cheek and she swatted it away before looking up to the face that blocked the sun.

"Hey," she greeted him briefly, letting him drop a kiss on her lips before straddling her feet and running his hands up her toned legs until they gripped her hips and he leaned forward, his forehead touching.

"Hey." His blue eyes bore into hers, energy exchanging and the message to not let his hands go further bouncing between them. "Whatcha doin?"

"Thinkin'," she joked, playing up the slang tone of his words.

" 'Bout what?" he asked, a smile tugging his lips as it became harder to breathe around her.

"Just how track is done and basketball is about to start. Who would have thought I'd become such a jock?" she replied, her smiling broadening at his laugh.

"You're going to be the jock on the bench if you don't make practice on time. And Dad will kill you for it with only five days between now and your opening game on Thursday."

"What about you?" she asked, letting him pull her to her feet.

"Well, I don't date bench warmers. So you'd have to quit and become a cheerleader," he sighed, letting his gaze follow up her legs at the very tiny shorts she always wore for practice begged him to stare. "But there is that short skirt-." He paused as she turned once they reached the ground, back peddling a few steps so she always remained ahead of him. Damn.

"Can't have that," she agreed, "Better beat you there, then." She took off, leading the way through the side door and down the corridor, bursting into the gym just as Coach Bolton was exiting his office.

Troy caught her around the waist, both of them tumbling to the floor with a resounding crack as his elbow connected and her head hit his shoulder. Voices broke out as players laughed, watching Troy and Gabriella untangle themselves while trying not to burst into laughter. Jack's amusement was only visible in his eyes as his son's head came up to meet a familiar expression.

"She was trying to escape," Troy stumbled, hearing Chad snort, "I brought her back."

"Did you bring back the rack of balls I sent you for in the first place?" Jack asked, eyes narrowing at both of them as Troy looked beaten.

"Uh, I- um, I can-," Troy swallowed. "I'll go get them."

"You go do that," Jack suggested. "Take Chad in case _you_ run away this time."

Gabriella decided Troy was smarter than she had thought when he decided not to say anything else. She hadn't actually known about his quest for ball racks, but she knew there would no way to escape Jack's wrath on being late to practice.

"Montez?" Coach called, and she raised her head and gave him a shaky smile before wincing at the look. "There is an early morning practice for the existing captains of both teams tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," she answered quietly.

On the bright side, she thought, she would be spending most of that Saturday with Troy anyway; what was an extra hour in the morning? Smiling, she tried to get rid of it when Jack caught sight of her. Zeke smirked and winked when he caught her watching the door, knowing that Troy would be just as disappointed to spend an extra hour of his day with her.

* * *

The ladder wobbled slightly as Troy leaned further to the left, willing his arm to grow six centimetres so that he wouldn't have to climb down, readjust the ladder, and climb back up. His right hand held the stiff cardboard to the bulletin board and the left hand held a stapler that Ms. Darbus had reluctantly loaned him. Below him, her face upturned and pinched in concentration as she evaluated his work, Gabriella pursed her lips and tilted her head in consideration before shaking her head. Troy wanted to drop the stapler on her beautiful head.

"It's just not centered enough," she sighed, a hand on her head, "It's close, but now it looks like we tried to get it in the center and screwed it up."

"I can bring it this way," he suggested hopefully, "Have it off-centered. Very artistic, if you asked me."

"I didn't," she snapped, running a tired hand through her hair. "We tried it already anyway, can you just get it in the center more?"

Sighing, he descended the ladder, wiggled a whole foot to the right, and climbed up again. Repositioning the poster of all the candidates for the charity auction in the center as per her request, he looked down for her approval. She frowned again and he closed his eyes, praying for patience. He had helped her decorate two more boards for the big night, including one that combined the basketball openers on Thursday and Friday night, and the auction on Friday following the guys' game. Then he had listened to her describe the decorations for the auditorium stage that needed to be done for the actual event. The stapler wouldn't be enough to stop her. He would need a bulldozer.

"Perfect," she told him cheerfully, as if they were on a picnic and birds were chirping. "Thanks."

"No problem," he managed to get out, tired muscles helping him down the ladder.

"Now, Darbus said we can do the auditorium today and the musical rehearsals won't touch them until Friday. Can we trust them for three days? I mean, it's just the rest of today and then tomorrow and Friday." Troy wasn't sure if she was looking for him to answer or if she was talking to herself. He had learned that both were interchangeable. "Troy?"

"Um, sure. Whatever you say," he replied quickly, forgetting the question as she climbed the stairs and counted steps across the stage.

"You don't want to do this," she realized, looking down at him to see the tired way he flicked the hair out of his eyes and the way his shoulders bunched when he set the ladder down.

"I don't want to do it anymore today," he corrected. "I'm tired and we still have basketball practice next period. I'll come back and do it with you tomorrow morning if you want."

"Where's Chad?" she asked suddenly, whipping out her phone and dialling.

"Uh, what are you doing?" he asked, plopping into a seat. Leaning his head back, he shut his eyes and tried to ignore the stiffness in his back.

"Calling back-up. We need help. Actually, I need help," she replied. "You think he will work for tutoring help?"

"What does that matter?" he asked warily, cracking one eye open to watch as she sat on the stage and typed furiously at her text message.

"Well, I can't exactly bribe him with the same thing I offered you," she admonished, reading her text before sending. "I promised him brownies. You think that could work on Jason and Zeke?"

"Jason, yes. Zeke, no. Get Sharpay down here and you will get Zeke," Troy suggested, his eyes closed so that he didn't expect to feel her sliding into his lap and settling her head against his chest. "What happened to decorating?"

"I'm tired."

"Chad's not coming, is he?" Troy chuckled, his hand twisting curls around until they knotted.

"He saw right through it," she admitted, burrowing deeper.

"Who else knows that we're in here decorating?" he whispered harshly, his hands moving to grip her waist, and his mouth moving along her face.

"Everyone, why do you think no one has walked in..." her voice trailed off as she spun to straddle his lap and grin. "You're good."

"I am," he replied.

They were late again to basketball practice, but it took an extra ten minutes for Gabriella to locate Sharpay and beg for a tube of concealer.

* * *

Gabriella was lost in hell. If hell was different from what her mother's priest had repeatedly described to her as a child and the fire and brimstone had been replaced by taffeta and tulle. Rhinestones winked at her and sparkly beads got caught on her bracelet as she pushed aside dresses in the hopes that something suitable lay hidden in the depths of fluffy, pinkness. Sharpay's voice could be heard from a hidden recess of the room, chattering away to Kelsi who merely nodded evenly and went back to pretending she was listening. Gabriella cursed as she tripped and stumbled over a trailing sash that lay abandoned on the floor of the shop.

"Miss, your friend suggested you may need help?" a petite woman with greying hair cut short asked Gabriella, stepping out from among a pile of yellow sparkles, startling Gabriella who was beginning to think there were hidden gateways to fairyland buried around her.

"Um, I'm not sure," Gabriella replied, unsure, as she delicately picked up a hideously embroidered olive green dress with a black underskirt and let it drop with a sigh.

"Try me," the woman insisted kindly.

"I want something....elegant and classy," Gabriella started, knowing that half the girls in the store had probably used the same words. "Okay, I'm going to be really blunt," she warned.

"Makes my life easier," the lady responded honestly.

"I'm MCing a charity event, so I don't want to look like a disco ball on stage. I don't want to reveal half of my boobs to the school and I would prefer if it didn't make swishy sounds or tinkle. I want simple. Plus, my boyfriend is my co-host so I would appreciate knocking his socks off considering that the last week has had me in a sweaty basketball uniform and sweatpants." Gabriella raised an eyebrow at the saleswoman. "Now, how impossible is that?"

"I can do that," was the reply and then she disappeared amongst the overflow of prom horror to appear a minute later with a single hanger draped over her arm as she ushered Gabriella into a changing room and set off to find the blonde drama queen who was requesting the opposite of Gabriella.

It was perfect. The woman was like a fairy godmother, swooping in to sort amongst the discards of the fashion word. It was a deep sapphire blue, reminding her of the lake in Colorado, and gathered under her bust before cascading over her curves in satiny waves before ending just above her knees. The strapless upper portion featured a single row of tiny blue sequins and Gabriella could already see herself raiding Sharpay's closet for the shoes she had coveted since last spring. It wasn't Hollywood or Prom. It was completely her.

"We'll take it," Sharpay announced behind her, her reflection moving into the mirror so Gabriella could covertly examine the silvery tangle of beads and fringe that hung about her friend's dress. Only Sharpay could wear something so outrageous and look like she was on a runway in Milan. "He's going to screw up the moment he sees you."

"Excuse me?" the saleswoman asked, her eyes narrowing at the terrifying client.

"She meant it as a compliment," Gabriella insisted. "It's fantastic. Thank you."

"Will you be needing anything else?"

"Shoes," Sharpay intoned, posing and pouting in front of the mirror that Gabriella had vacated.

"No, you have some," Gabriella reminded her, "And for subjecting me to this maze of terror, I get to wear them."

"The silver Valentino's I wore to Zeke's birthday last year?" she asked, mentally going through her closet and picking out anything Gabriella had gushed over in the past.

"Yup."

"Done. Now, do you have a dress for the ball itself?" Sharpay asked, rushing towards a rack of golden bells and baubles attached to matching fabric.

"Uh, no," she whispered, shooting the saleswoman a frantic look and feeling sick as Sharpay pulled out something that took up so much space, Gabriella recalled pictures of Marie Antoinette from her history textbook.

"I was thinking white. Like virgin white. Do you have that?" Sharpay's question was pointed at the saleswoman who tried not to laugh.

"We have white."

"We'll make do, I suppose."

Gabriella watched as she vanished amongst the racks again, her sparkled butt wiggling with excitement, before taking another look in the mirror. Behind her, Kelsi grinned and gave her an approved look that Gabriella was grateful for. Pulling a twirl, she gazed over her shoulder and smiled. The auction had been her pet project for the last two months and everything was expected to be perfect. Every detail was planned down to the second, the auction candidates prepped and the buyers encouraged and riled up. The basketball teams were on fire and tomorrow night, she would step onto the court as Captain. Troy would follow her the next day and she was prepared to cheer him on like any proper girlfriend instead of grudgingly clapping like last year.

Unzipping the dress and making certain it didn't catch anything as it fell to the ground; she stepped out of it and smiled softly. Everything would be perfect as long as the look on his face was nothing short of astounded.

* * *

_AN: So this was quick....but I'm really excited to finish now. ...That giddy feeling of getting a story done and then tackling something new. A quick note, despite the implications, there was no copulating in the guest room (and yes rach, during editing, it fit and its just for you)...Troy hints that it was something else but the details can be left to your own devices. I know I'm skirting the T+ rating to the max, but if anyone really thinks I've crossed the line, please let me know. I have no reason, it's just that it's so late, I don't want anyone to be left out of knowing the end. As always, keep the reviews coming!_

_~van_


	29. Define Golden

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Twenty Nine- Define Golden**

_golden (adjective): precious._

* * *

Gabriella held the orange sphere between her hands, the noise of the crowd surrounding the basketball court having been lulled to dim vibrations as she concentrated. Around her, in the home end of the court, the East High girls' team dribbled and shot and passed while the minutes of pre-game warm up ticked by. Her eyes flicked to the face of each team mate and then travelled along the hardwood floor to the stairs of the bleachers to the group of red and white clad basketball players standing in the back. Troy clapped his hands once and called her name before she grinned and turned to send the ball hurtling through the net just as the ref signalled for them to find their positions.

Taking her place opposite the North High player, Gabriella couldn't help but grin. She had spent so many hours during the past years watching and learning from the Boltons and the Danforths until she had been able to hold her own ground against the boys that to be standing on the court, where the scoreboard meant more than it ever had before, she had to wonder if it would have made a difference if she had played all four years like Jack had wanted and urged her to. At the whistle blast, she knocked the ball from the air as it came at her, catching it as it was sent back to her by an East player and turning to make her way down court. It wasn't like track, where she was racing a clock and her inner stamina, but it spurred her breath and had her blood racing just the same.

Coach was yelling at her to take the shot and the crowd was screaming about the player on her back. Her teammate several paces behind her and stationed to the left was yelling about being open but Gabriella had a clear shot and was ready to prove that the unblooded, untested, newly highlighted player and captain for the Wildcats was nothing to be sceptical about. Sidestepping the North girl, she took the three steps to the basket and let the ball sail as she turned to find Troy whistling with his fingers from the high end of the bleachers. Signature layup. Perfectly executed. The North High bench was quiet as they watched the high fives being distributed as the coach carefully examined the new player he had thought was a desperate act to fill the roster.

"That's my girl!" Troy yelled and the North High players on the court and in the stands closed their eyes at the realization. "You're owning my moves!"

"Yours?" Chad yelled over him, "That move was all me! I taught her that! Gabs, tell your boy he's confused!"

She laughed and shook her head, jogging back to center as the whistle blew to resume the game. Behind her, the crowd was chanting and Chad and Troy continued their joking in the stands, unnerving the North boys who had shown up to support their other team. Focusing again on the game, Gabriella decided that competing against a rival school definitely held more potential for satisfaction than the one-on-one games that she and Troy had goaded each other into during past seasons. Catching the ball as it crossed the court, she raced for the far end again, passing it to a fellow team member and pumping a fist in the air as it soared through the net and the numbers on the scoreboard switched to reflect the lead.

In the stands, East went nuts.

* * *

The buzzer sounded the half and Troy couldn't help but grin at the numbers on the scoreboard. It was a close score, only a handful of points apart, but the majority of the points listed for East High had been made or assisted by Gabriella. She had wanted to turn down the captainship the first time it was suggested, claiming it wasn't fair for her to get it when others had worked for years, but her teammates had readily handed it over, knowing she had what it took to keep them grounded and on top at the same time. Watching her lead the opening game with a fierce determination that made him antsy in his seat, Troy found that he wasn't the only one who had his eyes locked on the red and white clad player with the sweeping ponytail who ran the court with ease.

She caught peoples' attention like honey fetching flies. The fact that she rarely noticed, made Troy constantly smile. She burned on the court with fire and passion and strength as she called out directions and gave away points to her team mates instead of stealing all the glory. As the team trooped off to the locker rooms for a break, Troy turned to catch the conversation behind him.

"Daddy said it was fine. He usually matches whatever the school raises anyway," Sharpay was saying, giddily rubbing her hands together which caused the pink sparkles on her nails to gleam and shimmer.

"Well then, Zeke and Ryan are safe from the population," Chad mumbled, ignoring the looks Jason was sending a group of girls behind them who kept batting their eyelashes and flashing VISA cards at him as a hint of what would come the next night.

"Do you think they will withhold the cash if we lose tomorrow night?" he asked suddenly, looking to Troy who rolled his eyes, amused at how one-track Jason could be at times.

"We're not going to lose," Chad snapped, not wanting to contemplate something more horrifying than being bought by Lisa Jones who was wiggling her fingers at him and trying to smile around her braces and headgear. "Losing against West is never an option."

"Chill, Dude," Troy interrupted, trying not to laugh at Chad's dramatics.

"I'll chill, Bolton, when you stop drooling over Gabs and her basketball," Chad snapped and Zeke hid a grin by resuming his conversation with Sharpay. "It's like some sick fantasy for you, isn't it?"

"So, Troy," Taylor chimed in, leaning forward to put herself between both boys, "You and Gabi have a plan for tomorrow night? I offered to write out the cards for each participant but she said it's under control."

"It is," Troy replied with a cheeky smile, letting his eyes slowly slide to Chad and then back to Taylor with a bigger grin, "All under control."

"Should I be worried?" Chad asked, his eyebrows rising in suspicion at the look his friend was sending him. He vaguely recalled Gabriella asking earlier that day if he still owned the Spongebob slippers she bought him when they were thirteen. "I swear if I get bought by Jones down there, I will kill both of you."

"Lisa won't be buying you," Troy assured him.

"You didn't rig it, did you?" Taylor butted in, concern in her voice for having put the event in the hands of two known plotters.

"It's not rigged. We don't know who will buy him," Troy admitted with a dramatic sigh, "I mean, who would want him?"

"Oh, very funny," Chad drawled, "You two are evil. Diabolical. Completely-" A buzzer sounded and Troy swung away to face the court and left Chad hanging mid-sentence.

"Games started," Sharpay mentioned, absently looking up from her conversation.

"Troy is well aware of the fact," Chad retorted, watching as his friend leaned forward and locked eyes with the brunette on the court.

Anyone with eyes could see the private conversation passing between them despite the distance. Chad forced himself to look away, feeling like he was intruding on something they were unaware had caught the attention of everyone around. On the bench, Jack threw his arms in the air as his attempts to get his captain's attention failed. Sending her a wink, Troy leaned back and ignored the snickers of his friends, watching as she plucked the ball from the air and dribbled down court.

* * *

Her skin gleamed with sweat and her jersey stuck to her back and stomach as girls from her team mobbed her at center court. The orange ball rolled abandoned towards the bleachers where a spectator reached down and picked it up, handing it to one of the basketball boys as they climbed down from their perch and approached the court. Gabriella, still stuck in the middle of the circle where she was being congratulated by team members and classmates, felt oddly claustrophobic as she restrained herself from screaming to just let her out. People pushed in on all sides as the girls tried to extricate themselves to head to the locker room. Seeing an opening where Katie Pierce had slipped through a moment before, she ducked beneath the milling people and bolted for the players' bench and the haven that lay beyond it.

"Where are you going so fast, Captain?" a voice purred in her ear as two arms caught her waist and hauled her back a step.

"Ew, Troy," she protested, "I'm all sweaty and gross."

"I don't care," he informed her, tipping her head back and brushing his lips against hers, "I think it's sexy."

"It." She let him kiss her again. "May be." Another kiss and another step towards the wall. "Sexy, but-," she fumbled behind her as they neared the door leading to the hallway behind the locker rooms, "-You will smell just as bad if we-," the door gave way behind her and they tumbled into the empty corridor, "-keep doing this."

"Mmm," he mumbled as his teeth grazed her salty skin along her collarbone, "don't care."

"Okay, seriously, someone is going to find us," she managed to get out before his lips captured hers again. "I need to get in there before your dad hears that I'm missing. We're supposed to do de-brief."

"Fine," Troy gave in, pulling away, "I'll meet you in the parking lot?"

"The front one or the back one?" Gabriella gasped as she shivered from the sudden drop in heat.

"The back one where no one parks on game night," he whispered in her ear before yanking his head away and leaving to find their friends in the gym.

Gabriella hurried to the locker room, ignoring the looks she got when she appeared from the wrong entrance. Her team mates were in various stages of undress as she found her locker and began stripping of layers in record speed. Flinging them towards the hamper that collected them all after each game, she tossed her shoes inside the cubby and pulled out her towel and shower gear. The girls shared looks of amusement as she returned less than ten minutes later, showered and rushing to run a towel through her hair while trying to locate her clothes. The noise from the gym was quieting down as people left and she lunged for her phone when it beeped with a text.

_Troy said he is bringing you home and I have an early flight. Don't be late and we'll talk when you get in. Good game tonight. –Mom_, Gabriella read and her actions picked up even more speed as she grabbed her things and slammed the door shut.

"Something waiting for you, Montez?" A voice called as she pushed the door between the locker rooms and the gym open and almost fell over Jack Bolton.

"Just my ride, Coach," she spilled out, trying to calm the racing blood that hadn't diminished during their time apart or her shower.

"I see," the older Bolton drew out, laughter in his eyes, "Remind Troy of his curfew for me, please? And tell him that the back parking lot is only for coaching staff on game nights. He knows that."

"Of course, sir," she managed to get out, backing away a step with each word until he waved her off and she turned, running full tilt across the polished floor and putting her shoulder to the heavy metal separating her from her boyfriend.

He leaned against the white battered paint of his pick-up, ankles crossed and hood pulled up as the wind whipped against Gabriella's still damp skin. She flung her bag into the back and launched herself at him, hands gripping his face when he caught her. Hungrily, her lips attacked his, never before having experienced the type of boiling desire that seemed to be affecting her along with the adrenaline of the game. His hands roamed along the sides of her body, pulling her closer if she drifted too far away. Her hands dug into his hips as she braced a knee against the truck.

"You were fucking awesome tonight," he said harshly, barely breathing before crushing down on her again.

"Is this normal? After every game do you feel this _need_ to just...I don't know," she breathed, chest heaving as she adjusted herself into the shelter of his larger body.

"Oh, yeah," he gasped, pushing her hair aside so he could access her neck. "It's the rush. Gets you every time."

"So what do you do if there's no one for you to-," she was cut off by another kiss and this one seared through her core.

"I used to go fight with you," he reminded her, "Fire, passion- same thing."

"So...Tomorrow?" she asked, her hands bracing themselves against his truck as his hands raked at her hair that was slipping from its clip.

"Oh, yeah."

* * *

Sharpay Evans was a lot of things. Spoiled. Dramatic. Slightly obsessive. Overbearing. Demanding. She was not, however, blind or stupid. Slyly letting her gaze slide from her BlackBerry to the couple standing a few feet away, she watched beneath heavily lashed lids that were cautious to not give away her interest. Gabriella and Troy fascinated her the way DNA and nucleuses could hold Taylor's attention for hours. The two of them were like two puzzle pieces that slid together so effortlessly that a stranger would never be able to understand the path they had travelled to reach their current place in life. It was a mystery, even to Sharpay who had sifted through all the photographs that Gabriella had pinned up in her room from Colorado. She recognized their clashing personalities, but the way everything was in sync was inexplicable. The way their energy was exchanged like electrical currents and the way they thought and worked and played together. She could watch them for hours...except when they were doing what they were currently doing.

School had let out for the Friday, and Troy was due to be in the locker room for pre-game warm-up in less than five minutes, but Sharpay was certain he had little concern for it. His forearms were pressed against the wall on either side of Gabriella's head while her smaller hands had wrapped their fingers around his belt, hauling his pelvis closer than he had managed on his own. Drumming her fingers on her phone, Sharpay tried to avert her eyes as Gabriella arched away from the wall and slid her tongue into Troy's mouth. There it was, Sharpay told herself, the little bit of puke in her mouth. Sighing, she dropped one hand to her hip and popped it to the side, clearly irritated.

"Gabriella Montez, could I bother you for a moment?" she called, her voice hinting that she was being far from polite. When she got no response, she cleared her throat loudly and wondered where everyone else was before remembering that they were all in the gym or the locker room, where Troy should have been four minutes ago. "Bolton, they will start the game without you. Your big moment will disappear and when you look back and your kids will ask how it felt to open against West High in your senior year and what will you tell them? Hmm? _Sorry, kids, but I was busy drying humping a pretty girl against the wall_?"

"Evans, leave it," Troy growled, his voice muffled by Gabriella's wandering mouth.

"You are going to get in shit," Sharpay cried, not knowing if she should just leave or continue trying to drive that concept through their heads. "Both of you will be in so much-"

"Shar, I'm coming," Gabriella reassured her, unwinding herself from Troy's grasp and pulling away. Looking back at him over her shoulder, she smiled. "I'll meet you backstage after the game."

"Oh no you don't," Sharpay cut in, wrapping a hand around Gabriella's arm and pulling her away as she marched down the hallway, "We are not having a repeat performance of that just before you go onstage. You will have everyone thinking you had sex back there and let's be honest, they're already going to think that without giving them proof."

"Sharpay Evans!" Gabriella protested, her cheeks the color of roses in bloom, "Do you have to be so....brash?"

"Brash?" Sharpay spit out, incredulous as she held open the door to the gymnasium and let Gabriella go ahead of her. "You just had virgin sex in the hallway while I stood there! You knew I was there and you did it anyway! I'm not brash!"

"What is she yelling about?" Kelsi asked, eyeing Sharpay's flashing eyes and Gabriella's quiet disposition.

"I had to pry Troy off of her," Sharpay announced, although more quietly than most would have expected possible. "Tonight will not be an auction, it will be live porn."

"Give them some credit," Taylor butted in, "I'm sure they have some restraint." Rolling her eyes, she let her gaze slip to Gabriella who was leaning forward, oblivious to everything and anyone as Troy burst through the doors of the locker room, leading the team.

"Oh yeah," Sharpay snorted, crossing her arms as she watched, "I bet my black Gucci heels that they don't go the whole show without eye-sex or mentally undressing the other while the school looks on."

"I'll take that," Taylor informed her, cocking her head to see that Gabriella hadn't budged from her staring contest with Troy's figure. "Gabs? You hear that?"

"Yup," she murmured, "Sex. Sharpay is talking about lots and lots of sex."

"You're screwed," Ryan told Taylor, a tilted smile on his face as Gabriella shook herself to focus on the actual game.

Sharpay gleamed as Taylor groaned, leaning back against the bleachers and watching as the game started. It wasn't the racing hormones that she found so amusing; it was how open both of them were about their feelings. Without words, anyone watching could feel the tension and emotion and attraction rolling off of them. Grinning wider, Sharpay turned her attention to the game that held Gabriella riveted.

* * *

He could feel her watching him. He didn't have to turn around and search through the sea of people to find her, he knew she was there. It was an itching on the back of your neck or the feeling of waiting for the phone to ring. It was knowing when she would smile or when she would take a step back. It was like knowing that her hands always went for his waistband when he kissed her. He just knew. She was there. Watching.

Catching the ball that Zeke had passed off to him, he spun and dribbled twice before shooting down court to Chad. Ahead, Jason blocked a West player as Chad dribbled up court and sent the ball to Troy who had maintained his clear shot of the net. Jumping, the ball leaving his fingertips spinning, he watched as it pounded into the net just at the buzzer signalled the half. Heaving heavily, he turned and met her gaze briefly before following his team to the locker room.

* * *

During the hour following the conclusion of the basketball game, with the East team sweeping the floor with West and further inflating their egos, Gabriella had concluded that she had been wrong about the dress shop being a fixated place of Hell. Instead, she rationalized as Sharpay tugged and pulled and twisted her hair, Sharpay was Satan who brought Hell with her wherever she pleased. Currently, it pleased her to release it in the backstage area of the auditorium.

Hissing as a strand of hair was ripped from her head by the outrageously purple clad figure wearing an off-the-shoulder tutu inspired dress, Gabriella glared at the person behind her who hummed under her breath as she worked. Around them people scurried around Taylor as she double checked lighting and cue cards and yelled at Chad to stop fidgeting. Finally being freed from the monster of the hot iron, Gabriella spun and backed away from the advancing drama queen.

"You don't have any makeup on," Sharpay insisted, brandishing a makeup tote like a bomb.

"I'll do it myself. I need my eyes to go out there tonight," Gabriella retorted, sending desperate looks to Taylor who ignored her and went back to trying to get Jason's hair to lie flat.

"Gabriella," Sharpay sighed like she was speaking to a child. "You're an amateur. You want to see Troy fall over his feet? Sit down and let me work magic."

* * *

Troy pulled at the collar of his shirt, the tie feeling like it was choking him. The spotlights of the stage filtered over the tops of the curtains and beat down on him as he waited for his cue offstage. On the opposite side of the brocade divider, Taylor's voice was clear as she introduced the point of the evening and welcomed those who had come to support or simply watch. Behind him, Chad and the other guys fidgeted while they nervously waited, the girls smoothing bangs or checking their lipgloss in a mirror. Sharpay had deemed him 'suitable' five minutes before taking her seat beside Kelsi in the front row, mentioning to him that Gabriella was waiting at the other end.

"Troy Bolton!" Taylor's voice barely travelled over the sound of applause and whistles as he stepped on stage, the light momentarily blinding him. "And Gabriella Montez!"

The spotlight shining in his eyes was nothing compared the vision that flickered before him. Waving to the crowd as they continued to clap, Gabriella walked towards him with perfect posture and poise despite the four inch heels strapped to her feet. The dress that flowed over her body reminded him of the way painters clothed their Greek goddesses in nothing but silk, leaving everything and nothing to the imagination. Her shoulders glowed in the light as her hair bounced and flowed over her shoulder. She smiled as the mic in Troy's hand froze half way to his mouth and he visibly swallowed. He missed Sharpay rubbing her hands together with glee. He missed Taylor's sullen look as she stopped fantasizing about which skirt would look the best with the shoes she had thought to win from Sharpay.

Troy could only see Gabriella. It was like the night at camp when he had found her on the basketball court, deep in thought as she shot basket after basket. It was like seeing her for the first time. Clearing his throat, he tossed her the extra mic that she caught one handed as she fell into step beside him at the podium placed onstage. Swallowing again, he tried to recall all the lines they had joked over that morning, corny one liners Chad had researched from Oscar presenters for nominees. Instead, he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"How much do you think we could fetch by putting you on the black?" he asked cheekily, his eyes never leaving her face as she smirked.

"More than you. I have class. And I had a shower this morning," she shot back, grinning.

They clicked and the words flowed like water, never stopping to think of the next quip or joke or tease as they explained the rules to the audience. Strangers would murmur in their seats that East must have chosen the two most charismatic people they could find. The students would sit on the edge of their seats, waiting and listening for an indication that one had gone too far. It never came.

Zeke went to Sharpay who ignored the request to increment the bids by five dollars at a time and simply offered up five-hundred dollars and the country club for the ball. Ryan's price went on the same plastic card as Sharpay raised Kelsi's arm in the air when the time came and offered another five hundred. Jason went to the cheerleading captain, which was so typical and foreseen that Troy barely looked up when he awarded the closing bid. The football team found their dates among numerous girls willing to put up with them, and the soccer team went to the girls' soccer team which Gabriella was certain had been planned. Eric Masters went to the girl in the bathroom with Sara Prescott the week after Troy's drunk confessions and Saunders went to a girl who Gabriella knew to chew her pencils. The bidding for Chad had risen to almost two hundred dollars between two girls Gabriella didn't know until Sharpay took pity on Taylor's traumatized face and held up her stick.

"Five hundred dollars," she called, in a bored voice.

There was an uproar among the other bidders and Troy looked at Gabriella who was frantically skimming the official rules they had submitted to the school board. Taylor was mouthing words at her and waving her hands at Troy who shrugged while Chad gave him a pleading look that asked for them to let Sharpay save him.

"Um, there's nothing that says someone can only bid once," Gabriella informed the audience in a wobbly voice. "Is anyone willing to make a higher bid?"

"I'll go higher," Sharpay insisted, sweeping her sign around like a tennis racket.

"What do you need two dates for?" someone growled, flinging their sign down and huffing.

"I don't need two dates," Sharpay said, giving her a look that forced the other girl to back off. "I simply thought the money would help the children."

Troy had to grin at how tactical Sharpay could be. Looking at Gabriella who nodded her approval, Troy rapped the gravel against the wooden podium and announced Chad sold to Sharpay Evans. He could have sworn there was a shudder rippling through his friend's body but he ignored it, sharing a smile with Gabriella. There were brief announcements about ticket sales and then Taylor appeared to thank them and end the night. Sweeping back stage with Gabriella on his arm, he leaned close and let his hands slide up her satin clad back and burn into her bare skin.

"I'll meet you in the parking lot," he told her, his breath whooshing against her ear.

"I'll see you there," she promised, tilting her head back to kiss him before going to gather her things.

* * *

_AN: So one more to go. Review like always!_

_~van_


	30. Define Euphoria

**The Definition of Us**

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM._

**Chapter Thirty- Define Euphoria**

_euphoria (noun): an exaggerated state of bliss._

* * *

Gabriella braced both hands on the low wall that ran around the rooftop garden. The concrete was warm against her palms while the gentle breeze that tickled her skin was cool and slightly chilly. Above her, the blackening sky twinkled with stars that were blurred out by the lights of the city that's skyline was outlined by the sliver of remaining orange light. Strings of mini Christmas lights glittered as they wound around the trellises and gazebo-like patio gardens and outlined the tubs of shrubs and the railing leading back downstairs to the quiet hallway. They caught the golden shine of her dress' fabric and sparkled.

Below her, in the parking lot in front of the school, students called to one another and horns honked as students arrived late to the ball taking place in the gymnasium. As co-ordinator, Gabriella had opted not to go with her friends and their dates to dinner first, instead staying behind with Troy to supervise final decorations and give direction to those taking tickets. She had protested against his offer to remain with her, but he had merely waved it off and insisted. She really hadn't tried that hard to convince him otherwise.

Behind her, in the direction of the descending staircase, a door quietly creaked as it was pulled open and the even sound of footsteps on the stair treads echoed lightly. She didn't have to turn to see who would emerge from the darkened entrance, knowing full well only one person would seek to find her here. She had counted on it when she had left the noisy, crowded gym with its whimsical decorations and sought some place to just enjoy a moment of quiet where she could force everything from her mind and feel things slowing down. A gush of air shifted as the cool empty space at her back was replaced by warmth and heat, a jacket settled around her shoulders as Troy's arms encircled her.

"Hey," she whispered, watching the taillights of the cars on the road as they winked in and out around corners and trees. "Is it still crazy?"

"Nah," he replied softly, hands sliding down her arms until his fingers lay over hers that clasped the wall. "Everyone is pretty much settled and the DJ was starting to play a bigger variety. The dance floor isn't so empty now that everyone's friends are here."

"Chad and them?" she inquired, lacing her fingers with his as she turned towards him.

"Downstairs. I told them we were taking a break and you hadn't eaten yet," he told her, brushing a loose curl away from her face while the wind played with it. "You look beautiful."

"You told me that earlier," she joked, a smile pulling at her lips as he gripped her chin and tilted her head up to capture her lips.

"Doesn't mean it's not true," he grinned.

Gabriella lost herself in the moment. No one was hounding her about basketball practice or last minute charity details. The yearbook staff wasn't grumbling about the amount of the time they were spending in the darkroom and the SATS weren't looming in the future. She wasn't thinking about Christmas gifts that needed to be bought in the next few weeks or that her Thanksgiving break would be spent doing homework and applying to every school in the continental US. No one was asking the hated question of what she and Troy would do come June and their parents weren't yelling through the floor to make sure the bedroom door stayed open. It was just her and Troy in the one place their friends knew to be off limits.

His hands were soft as they traced the folds of her dress and glided up her ribs to grip her upper arms and pull her closer into the shelter of his body. The jacket slipped off but she didn't notice; its fabric twisting around her shoes as she steadied herself from the wave of emotion rolling over both of them. The wind teased the strands of hair falling into his eyes and she reached up a hand to brush it away. His hand caught her fingers and kissed the inside of her palm. Gabriella pushed closer.

"We can't stay up here all night," he reminded her gently, "Someone will come searching."

"We'll go back soon," she assured him, letting him lead her to the single bench and pulling her down so that she leaned against his side, gazing up at the winding vines that drooped over their heads. "Right now, I'm enjoying the quiet."

"Whatever you want, Brie," he told her, twisting a curl around his finger as he watched her gaze up at the sky.

"Everything is just rushing by now," she said. "When the summer started, I thought it would be the longest months of my life. I saw myself making new friends but nothing big because the odds of seeing them again would be slim to none. I saw myself learning independence while hearing how everyone back at home was having the time of their lives. I did it because I thought it would be best for everyone if you and I didn't force them to get involved. Fate is ironic, isn't it?"

"If you define it by us, then yes," Troy answered, shifting to let her snuggled under his arm, the golden dress blending with her skin.

"Now, everything is going at lightening speed. There's always something to do or somewhere to go. Those days where we would be free to sit on the dock and do nothing but talk or read? Sometimes, I want those back." She turned to look into the deep blue eyes that were burning in the dark and looking back into her own.

"Everything is moving fast because the hard part is over. We all cringe and shy away, agonizing over the possible complications and the 'what ifs', so that the time it takes to reach the peak-the climax-it's painfully slow." His lips brushed against her forehead and her perfume assaulted his senses. "We're done with that. The hard part is over; it will only get better."

"What about if we ever-," Troy's finger rested on her lips to shush her with a smile.

"Nothing can drive us back to where we were, Brie. Nothing can happen to make me want to be in that place again," he swore, his voice hitching slightly and she relaxed in his grip. Her fingers toyed with the silk end of his tie.

"This is where I want to stay," she insisted, "Us, like this."

"That can be arranged for the next fifteen minutes," he agreed, pulling her into his lap and letting her lean back. "Then we have to make an appearance downstairs."

She sighed and he frowned. Noting his confused look, she shrugged her shoulders and stared at her fingers. His larger, more calloused ones were laced with her own, the glinting championship ring from the year before resting in its customary place. She bit her lip before looking up to explain.

"Downstairs doesn't get us. The school doesn't get us. Our friends might, but they still walk around like the bubble is about to burst. We're dysfunctional and unnatural and inexplicable and confusing. It's not that I care that they don't get it, or want to explain it to them. I like the moments or the days when it's just us because we can be _just us_." She looked up to see him grinning.

"Babe, that's who we are. We are the definition of all those things and more. Who gets the right to say who has a normal relationship and who doesn't? Does how we got here have any reflection on where we will end up? It may impact, but it's not a preview." He rubbed the pad of his thumb across her cheek, savouring the way it glided over the smoothness. "We are who we are, and we do what we do. No one can ask anything else."

"We try to kill each other," she joked, kissing the inside of his wrist as his nose buried itself in her hair.

"All is fair in love in war," he quoted absently, kissing the back of her bare neck.

Gabriella mulled over his words, feeling her focus slip as the kisses on her neck intensified and drifted to her back and shoulders, leading along her jaw and threatening to dip into the front. Her hands gripped his tightly, her eyes sliding shut as she tried not to give in to his longing that radiated through her. He had been the one to put a time limit on their freedom. Turning, she let kisses drop along his forehead before pulling back.

"We should go back down," she reminded him, "You keep telling me that."

"Should and will have different meanings," he replied, his hands getting more daring as they eased up the edge of her dress so that one hand could grip her knee.

"People will think we snuck off to canoodle," she stated, "We're turning into _that_ couple."

"We are canoodling," he responded, breath ragged as his mouth attacked hers, "and we are _that_ couple already."

"Whatever," she gasped, her leg sliding over his lap so that both hands could drag his face down to hers. "Right now, let's focus on this."

"I love this," he joked, neck arching as she grazed the spot under his jaw with her teeth.

"I love you," she shot back.

Above them, the stars brightened as the horizon turned black and the city began to slowly die. The music from the gym circulated on the breezes through the open doors and windows of the first floor. The parking lot was quiet as people came and went; teachers hovering just inside the door. The wind tickled Gabriella's exposed skin and her laugh floated on the air as Troy ripped the tie from his neck and she hastily undid the top buttons of his shirt. The charity dance carried on, Taylor announcing the final amount raised in Gabriella's absence, which was noted by chaperons and students alike. Locked in a state of complete euphoria, Troy and Gabriella could have cared less about anything else but where they were.

* * *

_AN: This is it. It's finished. Complete. Ended...I want to thank everyone for their reviews and their support and wonderful ideas even if it looks like I never considered them or cared- everything matters. Within the next couple of days I plan to update Between You & Me, and then by next week From Blood & Ashes should be ready to debut. I'll let you digest this one first. _

_Thanks again,_

_~Van_


	31. Deleted Scenes

**The Definition of Us**

**Deleted Scenes**

**~*~**

....because there's no way the audience saw _everything_....

~*~

~*~*~*~

_"You're the only one who drags me kicking and screaming through fast dreams;_

_And you're the only one who knows exactly what I mean."_

_You're The Only One, Maria Mena_

_~*~*~*~_

_~*~_


	32. Define Game

**The Definition of Us**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. **_

_AN: The girls put the idea out there awhile back and while browsing around on fictionpress, I remembered that angels&effects had done something similar for They Call It A Cliche. I played around with some ideas and parts that were in the original story but I had edited out, and then set it aside, but this week aided in the inspiration as I was going through all my files to find something for school, and I decided to give it a shot while waiting for the betas to send back more updates. This is slightly bittersweet because I realize how much I miss this story, but this was one scene I loved and yet knew it was too much to cram into the chapter the way I wanted it to. _

_~Van_

* * *

~*~

* * *

**The Definition of Us- Deleted Scenes**

**Define Game**

_game (noun): a period of competition or challenge._

* * *

_Chapter Five- Define Opposition_

_Troy tipped his batting helmet to the pitcher to indicate he was ready and wound up to bat. The ball missed him by a foot and he heard Caleb call out encouragement to the twelve-year-old camper who was standing on the pitcher's mound. Not for the first time that afternoon, Troy rethought the sensibility of pitting the campers against the counsellors._

_The second pitch was close enough to target that Troy decided to swing and aluminum connected with the ball. Dropping the bat, Troy raced for first base. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gabriella leave second and run for third. Staff and campers in the stands who weren't participating cheered and clapped although Troy was certain they had no idea was who was actually winning. When Caleb's bat connected with the ball on the third attempt, Troy shot off for second base and then third, following Gabriella into home seconds before the camper on second base ousted Caleb._

_Two batters later Pete, who was playing umpire, called the end of the second inning and Troy took up his position at short stop. Adjusting his mitt, he looked to the pitcher's mound where Gabriella was tossing the ball one handed into the air while she waited for the campers to get ready. When Pete called to start, she wound up and launched the ball at the batter. The kid swung and missed, Pete called a strike, and Gabriella pitched it slower this time. Troy grinned. She was going to have a hard time slowing down to their level after all the years of pitching to Chad. On the third attempt, the sound of ball and bat connecting rang across the field and the kid headed to Troy. He slid into first before Troy caught the ball from Hailey at second base._

_The game continued for another hour, with the counsellors giving the win to the kids as they tried to pitch slower and bat softer. Troy purposely hit wide twice and he shook his head as Gabriella sunk to simply lobbing the ball at some of the younger players. When the game ended with only a half hour before supper, Pete told the counsellors to occupy the kids on the field until the supper bell was rung. Looking around for his co-workers, he saw Caleb arguing with a kid from his cabin. Walking over, Troy caught the look of resignation on the baseball player's face._

"_Problems, Brenner?" he asked, running a hand through hair sweaty from the batting helmet. Caleb rolled his eyes._

"_They want us to play each other. See who can bat the furthest or whatever," he explained with a sigh. "Are you guys up for that?"_

"_Yeah, sure," Troy said with a shrug, replacing the blue helmet and adjusting the gloves on his hands. "Find me a pitcher."........._

"Ella already volunteered," Haley said as she joined them, her bangs swept out of her face and a track of dirt down one cheek.

"Oh, yeah, her agreement wouldn't be hard to get," Troy muttered sarcastically as his grip on the bat tightened. "I'm sure she jumped all over the opportunity to aim balls at me."

"There may have been an evil cackling noise that I pretended not to hear," Haley admitted solemnly, a smile cracking a moment later when Caleb couldn't contain his own grin.

"Damn chick is a monster with a ball," Troy said to himself, but knowing they would overhear him.

"I've seen her pitch; I'd be scared," Brett added, having joined them to decide who would be batting first. "I vote we toss Bolton to the dogs first."

"Fine," Troy growled, watching the yellow clad player lazily tossing a ball in the air while looking content with life, "You're all afraid of a little girl throwing a ball."

"Dude," Caleb began, casting a disbelieving look at the East student, "I've seen her pitch and she's good. You shouldn't mock that."

"Don't you get it, Caleb," Haley teased before back pedaling towards her team, "He's just talking himself into going to the plate. Troy, I made her promise to play fair, if it counts for anything."

"Even the devil has rules, Hale," Troy snapped back, "It doesn't mean they are the same as ours."

* * *

Gabriella gripped the ball in her right hand, her fingers digging into the red stitching that cut through the stained and worn leather. She had been using a mock baseball for the game, considering the consequences of one of the campers missing a pitch and being hit instead, but upon being told that the counsellors were competing against each other, she had pulled out a real ball. Readjusting her baseball cap and scrubbing one palm against her already dirty pants, she transferred the ball to her pitching hand and tossed it in the air. The figure stepping up to the batting plate caught her attention and she couldn't help but let a smirk curl her lips. Troy almost looked nervous.

"Stop grinning like a cat, Brie, and play ball," Troy called to her, taking a few practice swings before crouching lower and waiting for her to make the move.

"You seem awfully eager to strike out, Bolton," Gabriella taunted back, winding up and throwing while he was still processing her words.

"Strike one," Caleb declared, the amusement laced in his voice difficult to hide as Troy shot him a dirty look.

"Same old game, Troy," Gabriella called over the field, her tone almost chastising and disappointed. "I thought you said you brought game?"

"Oh, I've got game, Montez," he roared, swinging the bat up to rest over his shoulder, "Let me show it to you."

"You may have to tell me when it happens," she hollered back, launching the ball as she did so, "I may not realize it has occurred."

* * *

Troy was ready to kill her. Somehow, despite the training and the practices where his father had drilled the basketball team to forget the taunts and jeers of the crowd and their opponents, Gabriella had managed to throw him off twice in a row with a simple response to a snappy comment he had initiated. It was a gift, he admitted warily to himself, but it was one that he needed to be immune to.

"Strike two," Caleb informed him, although Troy had already been aware of the fact. His teeth ground together as Gabriella shot him a grin and wiggled her butt in a victory dance. The fact that she knew she was getting to him made it that much worse. "Come on, man, just think about what will happen if you strike out again."

"Not helping, Brenner," Troy hissed, watching as Gabriella wound up again, this time not bothering to trade insults. "Damn her, she knows I can't hit anything she throws."

"So change the game so she makes sure you can," Caleb told him from behind where he was playing catcher. "I love El, but she is having way too much fun with this."

"Montez! New game!" Troy called before she could let go of the ball, bringing it to her side and setting her foot back on the mound. If the hat hadn't been blocking his view, Troy would have seen the quirked eyebrow. "I bet I can hit this ball further than you can!"

"Seriously?" Her laugh tinkled across the field and Troy's blood boiled a degree higher. "You think you can out bat me? You don't play the game, Bolton. You can hit if people aim for you."

"So aim for me," he told her, the cockiness returning in full force. "Or are you afraid that if you let me hit it, I'll beat you, hands down?"

"Oh, your hands will be down," she told him, winding up again, "They'll be flat on the ground along with your forehead as you bow down and worship me."

"You talk a lot, Brie," Troy told her drily, "I'm getting tired of it."

"Then batters up," she retorted, her eyes narrowing as she purposely slowed the ball down to meet the aluminum bat in his hands.

There was a ringing sound as the two objects connected and Gabriella shaded her eyes and lifted her head to watch the arc of the ball as it passed overhead. Troy felt uneasy as he saw the smile spreading across her face. It was the wink that made him realize he had lost before she even batted herself. Gabriella's arrogance rarely came out in his presence. She was confident and vicious and hot, but rarely did she become saucily cocky unless she knew something he didn't.

He tossed his batting helmet to the side and stormed off to the bleachers, ignoring everything and everyone as Gabriella stepped up to the plate and called to Caleb to give it his all.

* * *

Gabriella gripped the bat and banged the tip on the ground a few times before lifting it over her shoulder and bending her knees. At the pitcher's mound, Caleb grinned as he wound up to pitch to her and she returned his grin, knowing what was to come. Troy wanted to rearrange the rules and game to suit his needs, that was okay with her. Her palms felt gritty and she knew she was filthy, but it didn't matter as she nodded to Caleb and waited for the perfect moment before swinging out to meet the spinning baseball flying in her direction.

She hit it with deadly accuracy, sending it hurtling back over Caleb's head and into the outfield. Ben chased after it, pausing only when he passed the marker that indicated Troy's distance, and kept going until he had nearly reached the soccer field and caught the ball before it went over the fence. Gabriella heard the girls on the bench whoop and holler their praise and felt Haley slam into her. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught Troy's scowling face and, although she knew it was poor game to shove it further down his throat but unable to resist, she performed the victory dance he had been commenting on earlier.

"No need to be an unsportsmanlike winner, Brie," he called, annoyance in his tone and his eyes darkened in resentment.

"No need to watch, Bolton," she reminded him, adding an extra butt wiggle for good measure.

"No need to-," he sighed audibly and his cleats scratched against wood as he climbed off the bleachers, "-Never mind. It's time for dinner."

"First, I want to hear you say it," Gabriella goaded, spinning on her heel to cut him off before he could escape. He went to push past her and she stepped in front of him again. "Say it."

"You win," he growled, barely heard outside the four people surrounding them.

"No, say it all. Let them hear it," she insisted, pressing him for the phrase they had traded between each other for years. "Say it."

Troy looked trapped before glaring angrily at her and clenching his teeth.

"You bring game," he hissed loudly, his cheeks slightly pink.

"And you....," she trailed off to indicate he needed to finish. His eyes flashed.

"And I should stick to basketball."

"Oh, but I have game in that, too," she mused, smirking before flouncing off and leaving him to curl his fists.

"Damn her," he whispered.

"She's going to gloat," Brett said, adding salt to the wound.

"All night long," Caleb added.

"Just, ugh," Troy couldn't think of anything remarkable to throw into the mix and simply tossed his gloves onto the ground before brushing past them. "Just shut up."

The guys exchanged looks before rolling their eyes and following the angry counsellor to the mess hall for taco night.


	33. Define Blush

**The Definition of Us**

_**AN:**__ So this scene had originally been written and then when the flow of the chapter got to be too much, I sped up the pace by cutting the entire thing out. The recap that Troy and Ben make in the grocery store is slightly different from what's written here, but that's the point, right?_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. **_

* * *

~*~

* * *

**The Definition of Us- Deleted Scenes**

**Define Blush**

_blush (noun): a glance, look, or view._

* * *

_Chapter Nine-Define Discovery_

"_Oh, right," Ben remembered, "plus you're avoiding Ella."_

"_I am not avoiding her. We had a minor mishap yesterday and we are giving each other space." The excuse sounded rehearsed even to Troy._

"_A mishap where you walked in on her naked," Ben added......_

~*~

Troy backed away from his closet and surveyed his room for the fourth time that afternoon. His backpack, partially full of clothing for the overnight trip up the mountain, had tumbled onto its side on the bed and his sweatpants from breakfast that morning were tossed over the back of his single desk chair. His sneakers were tangled by the laces in the doorway and a recent copy of Sports Illustrated that Gabriella had loaned him was on the desk. His jacket however, the one item he had been searching for during the past hour of free time, was nowhere to be found.

Scratching his head, he tried to remember where he could have left it. When he began looking for it, having seen the gathering clouds overhead and suspecting rain, he had simply trudged back to his cabin with the objective of finding it and adding a few things to his backpack before going to find Gabriella and borrowing her iPod to transfer some songs. Instead, he hadn't been able to find the white and red striped basketball jacket anywhere, even after tearing apart his closet and set of drawers. Scanning the room again, he began going through the possible places it could be.

It wasn't on the basketball court, or the track or in the mess hall because he had been all those places since wearing it the day before. It wasn't in the gym or the administration building because he hadn't been there. A flicker of thought caught his attention and he smiled to himself as he realized that he had given it to Gabriella the night before when the lifeguards had been cleaning up the pool after a late swim for the campers and Ben had pushed her in while wearing her own jacket. Troy had slid his around her shivering shoulders while she spewed profanities at the other counsellor and then ushered her home before she became hypothermic.

Shoving his feet into sneakers, and tossing the few things left on the floor into his closet, he grabbed his keys off the desk and sprinted out the door, hoping to catch her before their free hour was up. The door closed behind him, the automatic lock clicking into place, and he pushed the keys into his pocket as he crossed the worn grass between his cabin and the one next door. Taking the stairs two at a time, Troy gently knocked on the door to Gabriella's cabin before easing the door open and peering into the shadowed front room.

"Brie?" he called softly, hearing the sound of movement in the back of the cabin. The door to her room was half open, the light on in the bathroom. He could hear her singing to herself as her footsteps tapped against the hardwood floors. "Brie, I'm looking for my jacket."

He sighed when he didn't get an answer and began scanning the room without her permission. There were backpacks everywhere in the vicinity of the couch and clothes were tossed haphazardly about the room. Picking up a blanket he recognized, he threw it aside before moving on to the East High hoodie that was hanging on a hook by the door. He didn't remember how it got there, but he knew Gabriella didn't own the name stamped on the right arm. How did she always manage to wear his clothes? He knew that between having Sharpay as a friend and a giant walk in closet, Gabriella definitely possessed sweaters of her own.

"Brie?" he called, sighing as he stepped over a sleeping bag and a Hannah Montana makeup kit before making his way down the narrow hallway to investigate Gabriella's room. He knew by the singing she probably had headphones in and was currently lost in her own little world. Reaching the door, he wrapped his fingers around it and bent down to push her sneakers out of his way. "Why do you have my hoodie in your cabin and do you know where my-," his voice trailed off as his eyes swept upwards and locked on Gabriella's wide, horrified eyes.

"Damn, Troy!" she yelled, eyes darting around as he continued to stare.

"Oh, fuck."

* * *

Gabriella gleefully waved her campers onto their next activity and handed the pool keys over to Ben before skipping down the path to her cabin where she planned to revel in the fact that she had a whole hour to herself where her campers would be occupied and the cabin would be empty. She needed to pack her gear for the camping trip. She needed to call her mother. She needed the shower that sleeping in had caused her to skip that morning. She needed to find some clean shorts and get the raspberry lipgloss off the collar of Troy's jacket before giving it back. That should probably be a top priority, she thought to herself as she entered her cabin and let the door swing behind her. She left it unlocked in case one of the girls needed something, and then waded through the atrocious mess in the front room.

She spent the next twenty minutes jamming clothes into her backpack while chatting with her mother and avoiding questions about Troy that asked more than whether or not he was still alive and whether or not Gabriella horded any plans to change that status in the near future. Finally hanging up and satisfied that she had packed as much as she could, Gabriella grabbed her bag of toiletries out of her drawer and went into the bathroom. The water in the cabins never seemed to be quite hot enough to be completely satisfying, but feeling as the chlorine was rinsed from her hair, Gabriella sighed with pleasure before stepping out onto the rug on the bathroom floor and wrapping her towel around her torso.

Glancing into the fogged up mirror, she couldn't resist touching a fingertip to the glass and dragging it along until one half of a heart appeared before her mind caught up and she swiped a hand over the evidence. Cold air hit her as she left the room, mist and humid air swirling in her wake. Tossing the towel that covered her hair aside, she raked a brush through it before drying herself off and grabbing the booty cut underwear off her bed.

Wiggling them up her legs, she scanned the room and found her matching black sports bra in the corner with her running shorts. Hauling it over her head, she tugged it into place and threw the towel to join its mate on the floor. Running a styling product through her curls, she shook them out while jamming her iPod in her ears and switching it on. Singing along with the current song on the playlist, she sorted through the clothes on the floor while looking for her red Wildcat shorts. Clothes soared into her laundry bag at the foot of the bed and clean clothes went into a separate pile building on the bed. Locating her shorts, she stepped into them, turning towards the mirror beside the door.

Her heart stopped in her chest at the figure walking through her doorway and her hands fumbled for the waistband of her shorts that rested well below her butt. She was fully aware of how much of her was exposed to Troy's astonished and shocked eyes. Her breath gasped out and his eyes flicked to meet hers, ending their subconscious roaming of her body.

"Damn, Troy!" she yelled, finally able to form words.

"Oh, fuck," he answered, his voice stuttering as his eyes tried to rip themselves away. "I'm so sorry, Brie, I was just looking for my jacket and I remembered that you had it and then you didn't answer the door-"

"Why are you still looking at me?!" she raged, and he flinched, finally aware that in the passing moments she hadn't managed to become anymore clothed than before.

"Oh, I, uh-," he bit his lip and scratched his head, "I was uh-"

"Turn the fuck around!" she demanded, her cheeks flaming and her heart racing.

"Right, how about I just-," words seemed to have left him and for the first time since puberty when he had his first pimple, Troy was lost in the presence of a girl.

"Go!"

* * *

Troy banged his head against the wall outside Gabriella's room for the second time and cursed himself. Closing his eyes, he tried to get rid of the anxious feeling he was so unused to dealing with, but found that instead his mind simply replayed the earlier five minutes over again. The way her sports bra had accentuated the cleavage and the way the shorts were modestly cut but showed enough of her-

"Troy, you are an idiot," he said outloud to himself, spinning so that his back was pressed to the wall and he could groan up at the ceiling. "Way to make things less awkward, Bolton."

"Are you talking to yourself out there," Gabriella called through the door, "Or did you run next door and grab Brett to come ogle me as well?"

"Brie, please, I'm sorry. I knocked but figured you had music on or something since I could hear you singing. I didn't know you were prancing around naked!" he growled, still embarrassed for both of them but not liking the insinuation on her part that he had been checking her out. He didn't check out Gabriella. He talked to Gabriella. He joked with Gabriella. He noticed when she wore the red lifeguard bathing suit that was a size too small. But he did not check her out.

"Well, I didn't expect you to appear and perv on me!" she called back, ripping open the door and glaring. "And I wasn't prancing."

"There was a butt wiggle going on that I could see before you-," Troy caught himself as her eyebrows shot skyward and her mouth dropped open.

"How long did you stand there!"

"No, Brie, it's not like that! I just- wasn't expecting it," he covered and she glared as he hung his head in frustration.

"You know what?" she told him, stepping back to grip the edge of the door with one hand, "I need you to leave."

"What? Gabriella, no, I didn't mean anything. Honestly. It was a moment and then- ," he sighed and gritted his teeth, "I wasn't watching."

"I can't even look at you now," she told him.

"Why? Because I was looking at you? You were naked! I'm a guy! We get thrown by things like that!"

"Get out!" she screamed, and Troy realized how big the hole he was digging was beginning to get. "Just go get a cold shower or something. Go flirt with Hailey. Go- ugh- just go do something else!"

"But I came to see if-," he began but she slammed the door in his face. "Brie? Seriously. This situation is not that bad. I've walked in on Sharpay naked before, too, at Lava Springs once. We got over it."

There was a slight moment and then the doorknob shook before the door opened to reveal a very tense Gabriella.

"I. Wasn't. Naked!" she yelled through clenched teeth and Troy felt like a shock jolted through him.

"I'm going to go," Troy announced, as if all along that had been his plan.

"Good idea."

"Tonight, we're supposed to-," he reminded her of their plans to call Chad.

"Don't count on it."

She slammed the door again.

~*~

_....."Sure," Ben drawled, "And you can't stop thinking about it."_


	34. Define Covert

**The Definition of Us**

_**AN:**__ This has been sitting around waiting for a good time and today seemed like a decent day for it to be posted. I had originally planned to update From Blood over the weekend but it hasn't come back from the beta yet, so just in case it doesn't happen for a couple of days, this is my consolation prize._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. **_

* * *

~*~

* * *

**The Definition of Us- Deleted Scenes**

**Define Covert**

_covert (adjective): not openly engaged in, shown or practiced._

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Seven -Define Ally_

"_Guest room?" he asked, walking to the basement door._

"_Guest room."_

~*~

Troy's hand fumbled behind him, searching for the latch on the door that led to the basement and the spare bedroom the Danforth's kept for overflow guests. Gabriella, and sometimes Troy, usually got put there during extended stays or sleepovers. Hearing the click, he kept his grip on Gabriella's body that was twined around his torso and tried not to trip as he navigated both of them down the steps. The door swung shut behind them, eliminating the voices of their friends gathered outside on the patio, and leaving Troy and Gabriella in the bubble of their private world.

Knowing that the danger of falling down the stairs and receiving a broken neck had passed, Gabriella had resumed administering tiny kisses along his neck and Troy paused in the hallway for a moment to gain back the determination to make it as far as the bedroom. He didn't bother to flip on the bedside lamp as he kicked the door shut and unceremoniously dumped his girlfriend on the bed. Fading light filtered through the window set into the wall, level with Mary Danforth's flower beds, and lit a pathway across the floor, the bed, and Gabriella's panting figure laying limp on the comforter as she watched Troy with overly dilated pupils.

His body was still as he stood at the edge of the bed, gazing down at her with hunger in his eyes. Her hair was fanned across the surface and her top had ridden up to reveal a hardened stomach. The edges of her lips twitched with mirth, knowing what she did to him and it was enough to break the serenity of the moment. Ripping his shirt over his head and tossing it without a glance, Troy bent down and settled both knees on either side of her waist, dipping his head to meet her lips as she tilted her head up in acceptance.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered harshly, emotion making the words hard and insistent.

"I'm on the bed, Troy," she murmured back, the words spaced apart between kisses, "You don't need to flatter me. The seduction was successful."

"Shut up and stop ruining the moment," he growled, roughly twisting her head to gain access to her neck and the spot he had discovered behind her ear.

"Don't tell me what to do," she argued back, bending a knee to plant her foot on the bed and shifting so that she was above Troy, her hair a curtain that caught that last of the sun coming through the window. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shhh, Brie," he urged, one finger reaching up to rest on her lips while the other hand remained in the position that had prompted her question. He gripped the waistband of her skirt, his thumb and forefinger forcing the button open until he got a peek at the blue and yellow striped bathing suit bottoms underneath. "You should help me here."

"I'm busy," she informed him and he took notice for the first time that while her lips continued to pay homage to his exposed chest and abs, her hands were busy working the buckle on his belt.

In moments, the belt had joined Troy's shirt on the floor, followed soon after by his pants, Gabriella's skirt and her tank top. On their knees upon the bed, clad in nothing but boxers and a skimpy bikini, the two pushed against the other in earnest as they fought to force each other back to the bed's surface. Gabriella's hair tumbled around her, the silken locks dishevelled beyond repair and possessing a distinctive look of questionable activity. Troy's eyes blazed with heat as his mouth latched onto hers, bracing his arms on either side of her head and caging her in as he propelled her backwards until her head hit the pillows. Hungrily, he sought every part of her body as she arched against him, her fingers scraping against his skin as she shut her eyes.

Suddenly, he pulled back and she felt her frustration surge as heartbeats passed and he made no move to continue. Opening her eyes, she swept her gaze along the length of his form, taking in the darkening shadows along his torso and cheekbones. Finally, she settled her view on his eyes and she inhaled a gasp at the intensity swirling in their depths. Reaching a hand up, she let her fingertips trace the contours on his face, never breaking eye contact as she raised herself up on her elbows.

"What is it?" she asked, swallowing the sarcastic retort that had been ready but feeling this was a moment that needed not to be spoiled. "Troy?"

"I love you," he whispered. She held her breath, seeing him lick his bottom lip before straightening his shoulders to repeat it more aggressively. "I love you so fucking much, Gabriella."

It was amazing what the difference could be hearing him saying them consciously and meaning every syllable with his very existence. It washed over her, drowning her in the meaning and reality of the situation and this time she didn't have to wonder if he would remember or regret or hear her response in return. Sitting up further, and feeling his hands drop to allow her to close the gap, she ran her hands through his hair and grip the longer pieces at the back.

"I love you, too," she insisted, searching his gaze, "With everything I have."

She could count the seconds that passed between them, noted by the ticking hand of the clock on the nightstand. When she got to twelve, Troy seemed to snap out of himself and the energy between them returned with a storm's fury. Hands searched and found, tongues discovered and Gabriella and Troy found something new in each other. Raised on his hands above her head, Troy got her silent permission before dissolving the final barrier that separated them from each other.

* * *

The sun had disappeared from the backyard and blackness had replaced it. His head resting on a pillow, Gabriella curled into his chest, Troy gazed into the void outside the window. He could hear voices upstairs and spurts of laughter as the gang joked and gossiped. He wondered if they knew where he was, but brushed it off. It was a trivial manner, not worthy of his attention as long as they remained within their glass castle of secrecy. Shifting slightly, he was about to pull the blankets up to cover Gabriella's exposed arm when a beam of light flashed across the glass in the window and illuminated the backyard for a handful of seconds before cutting to black again.

Something slammed upstairs and it took Troy a moment to place the grinding sound of gears beside his head. Panic burst through him, a rush of anxiety and nerves as he rolled to his opposite side and caught site of the clock. As the garage door halted its movement, the sound of footsteps upstairs pounded across the floor and he winced as Sharpay's voice reached his ears. Harshly shaking Gabriella, he was out of bed before she opened her eyes, tossing clothes at her as he pulled on his own.

"Hurry up," he hissed, pulling up his pants as she rubbed sleep from her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked, confused.

"The Danforths are home and we're in the guest room in the basement with our clothes off. Figure it out Brie," he told her, seeing the acknowledgement hit her face as she suddenly began yanking on clothes and helping him to make the bed to their best attempts. Hearing voices enter through the joined door between the garage and the laundry room beside them, Troy shot Gabriella a look that did little to ease the rapid beating of her heart. "We need-"

"Troy?" Gab?" They turned to see Chad motioning through the window, his face tight even in the dark light. Hurrying to the window, Troy pushed it open and openly gaped at his friend who was shaking his head at the two of them.

"Chad, what are you doing?" Gabriella asked, her eyes darting to the door where the hall light seeped underneath.

"Saving your asses," Chad informed them. "Troy, help your girlfriend through the window."

~*~

_Chapter Twenty-Eight –Define Perfection_

"_Can't you just let it go?" Troy insisted, pulling himself to a seated position and letting his hands dangle over his knees._

"_You had sex in my guestroom. Sex that I hid from my parents by helping you crawl out the window and through mine so they wouldn't guess. You owe me an answer. Do I need to wash the sheets or is my Grandpa going to get a surprise when he comes for the game next week?" Chad growled._


	35. Define Aggressive

**The Definition of Us**

_**AN:**__ I figure because Lay Him Down is not conducive to happy, merry thoughts despite how much I love it, this would work instead. It's been sitting around since the last scene, since I found them both back then, and although I had planned on keeping it for a dry spell, I have enough other things to give you in a pinch. This is the final moment of TDOU and it seems right to end it in the same year it was written. I have this thing for the numbers 5 and 10, so 35 will be the end of TDOU. I want to thank you all for a fabulous year, the fantastic support, and a chance. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and enjoy. _

_~Van_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. **_

* * *

~*~

* * *

**The Definition of Us- Deleted Scenes**

**Define Aggressive**

_aggressive (adjective): assertive, bold, energetic or hostile; fast growing._

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Three- Define Stranded_

_Darbus had collapsed into a chair in the staff room after homeroom ended where Chad and Sharpay had kept the two from killing each other with a stapler. Jack hadn't believed it at first, but he had seen the marks where Troy had actually attempted to staple her hand to the table __'to see if it would stop Gabriella from throwing things__'._

~*~

Jack Bolton looked up from his day planner as the door to the staff room opened to admit Sybil Darbus before closing quickly behind her to block out the noise of the busy East High corridor. In a whirlwind of muted pastel colors, she crossed the tile floor that led passed a small kitchenette, and flopped down unceremoniously in a worn out brown arm chair. She sighed as her silk scarves fluttered around her and Jack noticed that her demeanour seemed a little more frazzled than usual. He let her close her eyes and hum for a few moments before clearing his throat in an effort to gain her attention from his place at the far end of the conference table.

"Rough morning?" Jack suggested, his voice hesitant as he forced false friendliness into his words. It was known that he and the drama teacher were less than cordial most of the time, but they did try to remain professional whenever possible.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the older woman grumbled as the door opened again and three other teachers ducked inside to escape the loud voices and rambunctious attitudes of their students. "Your son is going to force me into early retirement."

"I was saying that to Susan yesterday," Richard Miller, the chemistry teacher, replied to Miss Darbus' complaint as he set his mug of coffee down and took the empty chair beside Jack. "I can't imagine having the two of them in homeroom first thing in the morning."

"I thought having both of them in economics during fourth period after lunch was bad enough," Susan Andrews added, absently patting Miss Darbus on the shoulder before offering her tea in a chipped mug. "They have all lunch to prepare for another round of their sick battle. Half the time, I'm not even sure they know what they are yelling about."

"They're yelling about the same thing they have always yelled about," Cheryl Fredericks snorted, her back to Jack as his eyebrows drew together in a mix of confusion and dread. "They yell about why they are fighting and they fight about yelling at each other. Yesterday, they were yelling about shoes and the day before that they were yelling about soccer balls. Neither one of them even play soccer."

"Jack, how do you even handle both of them in the gym at the same time? Do you have a secret because we'd love some insight on how you keep them from killing each other." Jack suddenly found every set of eyes on him as Mr. Miller doled out the final piece of the puzzle of who they were all discussing.

"I control who feeds them, who lets them drive and who lets them out of the house. It's a privilege few of us possess," Jack drawled sarcastically and won the battle against rolling his eyes. "I know they're a handful, but surely any of you can handle two high school seniors having a love spat."

"You think what's going on between Troy and Gabriella Montez is a simple love spat?" Miss Darbus asked, her voice even and cold as she spoke for the first time since first acknowledging Jack's presence in the staff room. "They have obviously been hiding the worst of it while in front of you."

Jack had first been made aware of Gabriella's explosion in the cafeteria by Zeke who had come running to his office within minutes of Gabriella appearing in front of Troy. They hadn't made it back in time to stop any of the ugly slinging of insults, but he had shrugged it off when he heard nothing of any other arguments throughout the rest of the day. He had pushed it aside and said nothing to the Danforth's or Lucille and Maria, thinking it had been nothing more than a heated disagreement. Given their histories and their temperaments with each other, Jack would expect nothing less than a violent confrontation if their patience were tested by the other.

After dinner on Friday night, and Troy's quiet and sullen attitude all weekend, Jack had come to realize it was more than a disagreement. It didn't change his mind though that their verbal battles at school were nothing more than emerging frustrations with the other when they refused to break. It had never occurred to him until now that what he saw in the gym was a very careful coverup of what was actually taking place. Other than a handful of carefully aimed shots to the head with basketballs and angry challenges offered and accepted, Troy and Gabriella kept their mouths shut and put themselves far from each other. Looking at the haggard and disapproving glances that the teachers were shooting him now, Jack began to wonder with bubbling aggravation just how combative Troy and Gabriella were becoming. Beneath his irritation, Jack felt a pang of regret and disappointment at how broken they must be.

"I would have thought Danforth or Evans' would have informed you of the situation," Mrs. Richards noted, stirring her tea while shooting Jack a look of concern.

"Not a chance," Jack said while shaking his head. "I'm a last resort when they think Matsui will get involved, otherwise, Chad and Sharpay will protect their friends' backs like mother lions."

"Well, I thank God for having them in homeroom right now. It took Miss Evans and Mr. Baylor to hold back Miss Montez from gouging Troy's eyes out with her pencil. I'm fairly certain she would have blinded him given the chance." Miss Darbus looked mildly appreciative of her drama star and her charmer.

"What did he do this time?" Miss Andrews asked with trepidation and moderate curiosity.

"Oh, he slammed a stapler down on her hand," Miss Darbus informed them, her eyes boring into Jack's while she said it. "While it was open."

"He did what?!" Jack roared above the snickers of the staff.

"He said it was to stop her from throwing things. She had already relieved her hands of a text book, calculator, water bottle and a cell phone which I believe belonged to Mr. Cross. Your son thought that stapling her hand to the desk would work after she beat him over the head with said stapler." Jack was already rising from his chair when she cocked her head and gave him a somewhat sarcastic glare.

"Where are they?" A vein in his temple pulsed and his knuckles cracked as he leaned on the table.

"I believe Troy is in Vocal class while Mr. Danforth escorted Miss Montez to the nurse's office." At the questioning look from Jack, Miss Darbus continued. "Jack, this is not a lovers' spat. Whatever it is over, if there is an actual cause, it's past being mere bickering. He jammed three staples into the back of her hand."

Jack didn't reach down to pick up his chair when it toppled over from him rising too quickly.

\\\

Troy felt his spine prickle as he jumped and released the ball with perfect precision. It still bounced off the rim, its arc falling short and allowing it to hit the floor and bounce against the wall. Troy watched it roll under the bleachers before turning to see his dad striding across the gym. He had ditched vocal class halfway through by asking for a bathroom pass. The teacher had obviously not heard of the incident during homeroom as he handed the pass over without a question. Glancing around, he noticed that Jason had disappeared back to his own class. Biting back a string of profanities that threatened to spew from his lips, Troy tensed at the angry expression on his father's face.

"S'up, Pop?" Troy chirped obnoxiously, his arms hanging loose at his sides.

"What's up?" Jack asked. "You want to know what's up?"

"Well, not rea-," Troy slammed his mouth shut as the twitching nerve by Jack's eye. Never a good sign.

"I just saw Gabriella in the nurse's office. She was yelling about tetanus and gangrene and other lovely things. She told me to tell you that if she had the stapler handy, she'd make sure your manlihood got so infected it turned green and fell off."

"Dad, you can't seriously be siding with her," Troy interrupted.

"I'm not siding with anyone," Jack roared. "I'm not relaying her message because it's witty or funny, but because I was appalled that she even said it to me and I have to think of what amount of rage would cause the Gabriella I know to say something like that." Jack paused but Troy dared not interrupt. "And then I remember that my son slammed a stapler on her hand!"

"After she hit me over the head with it!" Troy insisted angrily. Reaching a hand up, he pushed his hair back to bare his forehead and pointed to a dark discoloration. "She hit me in the head with it, Dad. Don't act like she's innocent."

"I know she's not, but Troy, what were you thinking? You could be expelled. So could she, but she's not my child and despite how much I love her, I need to worry about you first. If Matsui gets wind of this- or decides to pay attention to it- Troy, you would be off the team. And that would be the minimum damage. Just," Jack licked his lips and shrugged in defeat, "Try to let it go. Don't let it get to you."

Silence hung in the gym as the clock ticked by seconds. Troy felt the exhaustion of the continuous battle weighing on his shoulders, and the smothering sense of always being on the defensive and the guilt of the consequences of taking the offensive. He was tired, but he was angry. His nerves buzzed with the adrenaline of fighting with her, but it was wearing off the longer the span of quiet stretched and guilt ate at him slowly for what he and Gabriella were doing to their relationship and their friends. Looking at his father, Troy sighed and shrugged his shoulders. His hands gripped the muscles between his neck and shoulders.

"It's not that easy, Dad," he said quietly. "They say the higher you go, the harder you fall. And we're falling hard."

~*~

_Chapter Twenty-Five- Define Morning_

"_Everything I said to you this week, it doesn't matter if I meant it at the time or if it was true, I shouldn't have said them. God, Brie, I attempted to staple your hand to the desk."_

"_Okay, that may have been a little extreme," Gabriella admitted._


End file.
